


Storm Ravaged

by IreneClaire



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Bromance, Drama, Friendship, Gen, Hurt Danny "Danno" Williams, Hurt/Comfort, Protective Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-03
Updated: 2013-10-04
Packaged: 2017-12-25 12:57:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 89,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/953376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreneClaire/pseuds/IreneClaire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The pending trial for a dangerous mobster creates havoc for Danny, Steve and the rest of Five-0. OC's of Doctor Alphonse 'Ponch' Ramirez and Ellen Ramirez will be featured throughout. A dose of abducted, amnesiac Danny and an extremely fretful Steve. (not slash)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.  
> Also published at FanFiction website.

***** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 *** **

**Chapter One**

_**WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12TH** _

It was no real surprise when the threats came into the Five-0 team upon the heels of Allen " _Darry_ " Darien being justly apprehended and charged with three counts of murder, racketeering, and money laundering. The mobster was facing life imprisonment if all the charges stuck firmly; and that was exactly where the prosecution was heading.

The high-powered and well-heeled mobster was facing an ironclad case and it was almost normal or par for the course that his followers would do what they could to manipulate or intimidate anyone involved in the pending trial. So, the threats escalated as jury selection came to a close and the trial date was subsequently set to begin.

Protective details were setup and the jury was sequestered for their safety from the very start. Because of the high-profile case, the date for trial was finalized nearly immediately for that same month.

But then the threats became personal when Steve McGarrett was subpoenaed as a key witness; as the witness to the last murder of a police officer. Committed by Derry in cold blood, Steve's testimony in regard to this murder would become critical in sentencing the criminal to life in prison.

On Wednesday, June 12th Steve sighed in disgust as his gloved hands sealed one of the latest short letters into a protective clear plastic envelope for Charlie Fong to process. He was sitting in his office and he looked up to do an automatic headcount of three across the bullpen where the others of his team lounged around the smart table.

The count of abstract threats now numbered over fifty and he knew that Charlie wouldn't find anything. What preyed most heavily on his mind was the verbiage of the latest two promises.

_"We lose. You lose. Protect your own as we protect ours."_

The second had just been received moments before and it was decidedly different.

_"Friday, June 14th. D. Day."_

Little did Steve - or anyone for that matter - know that ' _D. Day._ ' would soon signify that Danny was particularly in danger for that coming day. At the time, Steve only frowned and reminded everyone to watch their backs and exercise their usual high level of caution.

He assumed 'D. Day.' meant "Darry" or "Darien" and not their Danny ... until Danny Williams didn't show up for work that morning and they found the blood-stained Camaro parked in a deserted warehouse parking lot with his gun and wallet tossed to the pavement.

But Danny and his badge were missing; without a trace.

He understood in detail what they wanted when the last ominous letter was received that very night at his own home.

_"Plead the 5th. Or you lose."_

The trial was scheduled to begin on Monday, June 24th and they had no idea where Danny had been taken. Neither the judge, the courts, nor the Governor would consider postponing the trial until the Detective might be located - preferably alive. It was an unfortunate and terrible truth since it would be seen as a type of negotiation with a terrorist-like contingent.

Steve was ordered to do the right thing at the time of the trial and with a sinking heart, he knew that he would regardless of the outcome. So time was ticking at both a slow but much too fast, pace.

In what had now become the most recent dire of notes, Steve was instructed to plead the 5th when called to the stand or Danny would lose his life. His choices were perjury or a forced mistrial and still, there were no guarantees that his partner would be released alive and in one, whole piece.

They were dealing with consummate professionals. There were no clues, no prints, not a single witness; nothing to go on except the startling volume of blood in the car and the remaining members of the team were at a terrible cross-roads.

Following Danny's abduction, there was absolute silence and no other communication for almost an entire week.

The Five-0 team and the Honolulu Police Department literally turned the island upside down and then on its head looking for their partner and friend. Tempers were high and Steve had become relentless in the cause to find Danny; forgoing sleep and all else for hours and then the interminable long days on-end.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	2. Chapter 2

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Two**

_**MONDAY, JUNE 17TH** _

On Monday, June 17th, a cyclone descended upon the American Samoan territory creating mud-slides, washing out towns, entire villages and destroying once pristine beaches. The count of missing people and casualties grew as the hours ticked by and reports slowly came out of the ravaged islands. However, it was understandable that the extreme weather event wasn't particularly on Five-0's personal radar as they searched for their missing friend.

Almost by osmosis, the team only knew of the tragic event because it was so highly sensationalized in virtually every news report. Another frightening but lesser tropical storm warning had been issued for later in the week for the same already hard-hit area. That news also eked into the teams' subconscious as they focused their energy on finding Danny.

What had happened was far away, it would not directly impact the Hawaiian Islands and so, they continued in their search with their noses to the ground.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Regardless of new dangers, teams of international volunteers continued to rally to travel to the devastated Samoan area to offer aid to those struggling to survive. The teams included various health professionals across diverse medical professions who had agreed to work under the direction of the International Red Cross and as part of a very large humanitarian effort.

By Wednesday, June 19th, a team had been assembled under the benevolent direction of Doctor Alphonse 'Ponch' Ramirez to also participate in the mass medical emergency and assist in the cleanup. Their five and half hour flight was coordinated in conjunction with the military presence at Hickham and Tripler Army Medical Center. Their twelve-person strong team had arrived by the early afternoon of that same day to join with their international medical peers.

Their professional expertise and the antibiotics, bandages, malaria medications and all other means and modes of health care supplies that they brought along from TAMC stores were added to the cadre of so many others. Additional military also remained to help the local police monitor order and control looters. With the threat of the new tropical storm looming, the transports were evacuated back to their origin and volunteers hunkered down as they worked on day and night.

Ponch and his wife Ellen Ramirez, a highly qualified trauma nurse, set their temporary personal tent up on a raised wooden platform well off to the side of the larger tent 'city', but near the primary M.A.S.H. like hospital unit. Their space was private considering the chaos and activity, but still afforded them easy access to the critical medical area as they cared for the local injured that were being rushed in every few minutes from the countryside and from nearby towns. On their heels now though, was an added stream of other citizens frightened by reports of the pending latest tropical storm.

As friends of Five-0, the doctor and his wife knew of Danny's abduction back in Oahu - though not necessarily of its details.

It was a similar worrisome situation that was equivalent to what Five-0 knew of the ravages of the cyclone on Samoa.

They knew, they certainly cared .. however, they were powerless to help, so they focused on what they knew best.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

_**THURSDAY, JUNE 20TH** _

After the abduction, there had been nothing until the almost bland reminder that demanded Steve's participation in maintaining his silence. It arrived mysteriously at his home again when he wasn't there. This time however, the small brown envelope included one time-stamped photograph.

It could have been doctored, but Steve instinctively knew that it wasn't. It immediately trumped how they'd discovered the Camaro stained with Danny's blood across the driver's side bucket seat. The picture was time-stamped from the prior afternoon of Wednesday, June 19th. Behind Danny was a plain, gray concrete wall. He was held immobile to a very heavy ladder-backed chair. Steve could see no hints or clues to indicate where his partner might be held captive.

In the photograph, Steve could only see the individual thick straps that buckled Danny's arms, legs and chest in place. The strap around his chest was at least five inches wide and virtually holding up his slumped and weakened body which had been abused by beatings, drugs or both. In nearly a week's time, it was clear that he had not been cared for at all; in fact, he had been treated far less than kindly.

But he was alive. At least, for the moment.

"God, Danny." Morbidly, Steve absorbed every detail in the picture. Even in the frozen frame, Steve could tell that Danny was in misery based on the badly stressed, glassy eyes that were locked blearily on the photographer.

Dried blood covered the left side of his head and face. It caked his hair and stiffened what remained of his shirt. It seemed older and the likely first blow that incapacitated him from the onset of the kidnapping. In the long week, the injury had remained uncared for and more had only been added. Steve heaved in a shuddering breath as he continued to absorb every terrible detail.

He saw Danny's hands and how they were tightly fisted in anger or defiance and the sweat which had or was pouring down his dirt-stained and badly bruised face. His shirt was nearly destroyed as it hung ripped and torn to shreds revealing purpling bruises across half his chest. What was left of each sleeve had been rolled up and a rubber, yellow band encircled his left upper arm which proved the use of drugs to keep their captive compliant and controlled.

Steve's shocked eyes settled on Danny's own and he memorized the achingly weary but still obstinate expression. He almost took some comfort in that before carefully bagging the new evidence and making his own enraged promise. He would be at the trial and he would pledge to tell the truth in all its gory details. Allen " _Darry_ " Darien would be sorely mistaken to think anything less of Steve McGarrett.

But until he was required to appear, Steve had things to do because it was obvious that Danny would never survive his captors. Darien's people were toying with him and they would never release Danny alive. Of course Steve had known that already; the picture only clarified it now.

"I'll find you, Danno." Setting his jaw determinedly, he grabbed his truck keys to take the latest evidence directly to Charlie Fong, himself.

Moody, upset and dangerously angry, Steve made that one promise over and over as he punched the steering wheel. "I'll find you and once I do .. they're all going to pay for this."

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	3. Chapter 3

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Three**

**WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19TH - AMERICAN SAMOA**

The days had blended into a waking nightmare for Danny as he lost track of time and place. He could no longer remember the first few days of his abduction or barely recite his own name for the drugs, hunger and fatigue.

The words " _D. Day._ " echoed ominously in his mind from the dire warning first sent to Steve. No one - not one of them - had connected Danny specifically to it. And though Allen " _Darry_ " Darien might be drowning in the expanse of his own power, he also knew that Steve would do the right thing whether he wanted to .. or not. It therefore meant that Danny was utterly expendable by default. He was a pawn in a power-play and in a lose-lose situation. He understood that his team would do their best to find him, however the trial would go on regardless of Darien and his threats.

The personal ignorance he felt for getting abducted after a mundane early morning trip to the dry cleaner stayed, while hope of his team finding him truly began to dwindle as pain and exhaustion came to the fore. His physical duress even superseded his ability to concentrate on Grace and her smiling face which truly frightened him. The ample use of drugs, lack of food and barely enough water only exacerbated his inability to focus on anything but the dismal here and now of his situation. So when he almost couldn't remember the sound of her young voice, the feel of her hug around his neck, or hear her happy laughter - not even in his fretful dreams - Danny fought harder.

In a blind panic that he would eventually forget, he closed his eyes tightly and made himself think of every happy thing he could possibly recall. With a dutiful resolve, he spent hours remembering the sounds, tastes, smells and sights of each special memory. Each was relished, relived, catalogued, filed and then safely locked tightly up in a private corner of his mind where he only might see and touch them if he chose.

When he opened his eyes again, Danny was still there, but focused solely on staying alive and biding his time for any opportunity where he might escape. The emotions were gone to be replaced with that singular purpose. He memorized his captors' habits, ways of walking and clothing. It was all he could do, but it was something that might give him an edge and the split second of opportunity that he needed to escape.

He remained snugly tied at all times. No one spoke to him. Not once in the entire time and he'd not seen a single face for the care his abductors took in hiding their identities. There were three men present constantly who he learned to identity by their height, build, mannerisms and oddly, their footwear. Each had a particular role in his abduction and Danny was resolute that he now had one, too.

But throughout his too long ordeal, he'd been denied food, a great deal of water and all basic necessities to only receive drugged injections that left him shaking and in a fugue state. There were sparse memories of being moved often, the most recent was beginning to fade but it included the sensation of flying and of travel by boat across a very choppy sea. It seemed so long ago and such a faded dream by that point, Danny didn't even try to wonder if it had actually occurred.

Now he had come to in yet another different, dank room firmly strapped to a chair facing a familiar black-hooded figure holding a camera. The near deafening sound of heavy rains hitting the roof of their latest abode proved it was storming yet again. His ears popped uncomfortably as wind gusted around where they were hidden and thunder echoed closely overhead. The barometric pressure was changing and the temperature falling as a new storm intensified. Coming back to himself, Danny's drugged but angry glance proved his photographer was ' _Sneakers One_ ', the runner or gopher of the three.

The smaller framed and lesser of all the evils, he had a cocky way of walking to bounce on the balls of his feet which made him seem young and immature. His fingers were long and slim attached to skinny wrists with finger nails bitten down to their quick. Sneakers One was nervous, edgy and constantly seeking approval from his two more astute cohorts.

Danny winced and blinked when a series of light-bulb infused pictures were taken of him. He fisted his hands in a temper as he feebly tried to move against the tight straps and then wheezed in pain as a sharpness settled in his chest. His head held a constant ache that often flared into an epic migraine. Thirst had also become an ongoing obsession. He roused now almost frantic for water after days in high humidity and from drugs, his tongue refused to work as he swallowed hard against the dryness in his throat. The one or two small bottles a day simply weren't enough to stave off the beginnings of dehydration.

He had asked for more once and been happily beaten into oblivion by Sneakers Two; he hadn't made the request again. He had become as silent as his captors.

Danny looked up through veiled eyes as his unwanted photographer, Sneakers One, left him. He wasn't alone for long though as a second hooded man entered the room with yet another gift. Glancing automatically to what he wore, Danny shook his head as his finger nails left painful bruising crescents in his palms.

The very tall and slender 'Boots' stood menacingly in the doorway and Danny closed his eyes. Where Sneakers Two liked to prove his boxing prowess by using Danny's body as a punching bag, ' _Boots_ ' was dangerous and his presence was immediately telling. He was the ring-leader and boss of the other two.

Danny had at first thought Sneakers Two the leader. That assumption changed when a one-sided boxing match resulted in a loud crack of his left rib and Boots had nearly gone ballistic on the man. It was obvious that their captive was meant to remain alive - at least in the short term - and Two had gone too far.

Boots had taken Two by the throat and had nearly lifted the burly, shorter man clear off his tennis sneakered feet. Two's meaty hand had retaliated by digging into the man's wrist and he'd left a ridge of black bruising. However, Two had managed to abstain from reactively defending himself in a much more physical manner from Boots' aggressive warning. He'd taken the serious threat quite well and from that moment, it defined Boots as the clear leader of the trio.

After the altercation between the two men, the very personal pummelings doled out to Danny hadn't necessarily stopped. They merely had become more deliberate to debilitate and weaken, but not to maim or kill .. not yet.

Danny's breath audibly changed in the small room as Boots entered his small chamber. He almost preferred Two with his rolling walk that reminded him of the warrior dwarf from Lord of the Rings. His broad upper torso and thick chest equally matched the description, too. In a way, Danny almost appreciated that measured predictability to this silent, stealthy and dark-hooded figure.

"No." Danny whispered before coughing from the dryness in his throat. Boots never brought water; he only delivered one particular gift and Danny had only just roused from unconsciousness. He undoubtedly saw Danny's stress level rise when he entered the room, but the man with the taupe-colored military-like boots kept coming.

He struggled briefly as Boots held the syringe between his teeth. It tucked some of the black hooded material into his captor's mouth but the man needed both hands to tighten the yellow rubber tie on Danny's arms. His nearly dehydrated state was clearly making it difficult for the man to locate a vein and Danny winced as it tightened so much the blood supply was strangled to his fingers. It was too soon and his heart pounded through his chest.

"Stop. He'll .. never do it .. never." He whispered again as the man ignored him to thrum his arm heavily to finally find a vein that sluggishly popped up. They were preparing to move him again and besides being lost in time and space, he couldn't bear that knowledge because it possibly meant rescue could be close. That brief flare of hope faded further though as Boots pulled the vial from his shirt pocket.

Shaking his head dismally, Danny once again tried to move away as _Boots_ deftly tapped the vial and readied the syringe. The tall man growled a warning and shook the chair so hard it rattled Danny's head painfully on his neck. He closed his eyes then and waited for the coming sting and subsequent darkness but it never came as a new roar filled his ears. Almost instantly, the building began to shake on its poor foundation and his captor nearly dropped the drugs in shock.

Two other voices could be heard shouting from another room and Danny forced his head up when Boots turned and literally ran away. An illogical tendril of hope rekindled as Danny envisioned the noise to be a helicopter bursting through the storm. But he gasped when the small building began to literally move on its flimsy foundation and a startling loud grinding screech of metal, rock, and concrete sounded heavily.

As the wind intensified, loud cracking sounds and whooshes of train-like noise signaled breaking trees and in a dizzying rush, Danny renewed his struggles as a rivulet of water became mud that oozed quickly into the room he was in. Fissures opened in the walls and the ancient beam to the doorway buckled. Bits of trees and greenery came along next and his chair was suddenly moving on its own. Seconds later it smashed into the rear concrete wall as the building shifted significantly into itself like an accordion.

He lost consciousness while fighting to break free from the straps which held him trapped. He fell into darkness to distant fearful screams as the back of his head followed the chair to crash for a second time with a sharp splintering crack into concrete.

When he roused again, Danny was trembling uncontrollably from both shock and the cold wind and rain which pelted his body. He vaguely knew that he was now outside in the tropical storm. On his right side, he lay limply in a mucky puddle of water, breathing hard and staring at his right hand which was partially obscured by a green fern. It took him more than a few minutes to get the energy necessary to try and sit up gasping against the pain in his head and ribcage. His left hand and wrist refused to cooperate and as a knife-like grinding ache shot through both, he cradled his fingers awkwardly to his chest.

A sharp constriction around his chest prevented him from taking a deeper breath and he looked down in confusion when he saw the leather buckled straps. Panting heavily, Danny fumbled with his right hand to finally release the straps which had once held him tightly to a wooden chair. Now fractured remnants of that same chair lay against his skin solely due to the leather alone.

Driven to move, Danny pulled himself up but then had to lean back down to release leather straps that circled his ankles. He nearly fell over from the dizzy spell that rocked him but once more, he was driven by an urge to move and get as far away from where he was as physically possible.

With one hand he wiped water from his eyes, stunned to find himself in the middle of a dense jungle. It felt both wrong and right as he gazed in confusion at the almost foreign looking ferns and tropical vegetation. The room in which he'd been sitting simply no longer existed. A concrete block or two lay wedged on end in thick mud and other remnants that could have come from a metal roof glinted briefly under a larger vine-encased tree when lightning lit the sky. Trees were toppled over randomly and Danny followed the clear line of destruction up through the destroyed vegetation to where the mudslide must have begun from water-logged earth.

He looked for Sneakers One and Two, or for any sign of Boots. But he saw and heard no one as he fought nausea and pain and then took a hesitant step forward. He'd lost a shoe himself as mud squelched up through his toes and then threatened to pull off his one remaining shoe. And then he had to stop almost immediately to wrap his right arm protectively around his waist for the grinding of his broken rib.

But that was when his fingers found the badge on his belt. Bleary-eyed, he took a moment to stare at it in complete wonder.

"Hawaii?" Looking around at the storm-swept terrain, he supposed that he could be on the tropical island. However, Danny's bewilderment grew exponentially as he read the words emblazoned across the gold front.

_"Investigator. Five-0 Unit."_

The words held no meaning for him.

He stood their longer in the wind and rain with an utterly blank mind only to realize then, he didn't know who or where he was. Standing alone in the middle of a jungle, Danny fisted the strange badge before beginning to stumble through the dense underbrush.

It didn't matter. The here and now demanded that he find a way to survive. The only _why_ demanded that he focus and work on distancing himself from Sneakers One, Two and Boots ... and that is exactly what he did.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	4. Chapter 4

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Four**

**FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST - AMERICAN SAMOA (LATE AFTERNOON)**

"Sir, we have another urgent case."

Ponch stifled a sigh as he looked up from where he stood over the badly injured Samoan woman and ran his hand over his tired face. It hadn't taken long for everyone to be overwhelmed by the critical nature of the situation. It was a violent natural disaster that left too many people dead, injured, separated from those they loved and that was just the beginning. The clean up would take months and the threat of disease and illness was already rearing its head. Two Red Cross volunteers were hustling through the doors of the makeshift emergency aide tent with yet another occupied stretcher. The body was limp and a mud-stained, blood-smeared hand hung off the side. Based upon what remained of his clothing, it looked to be a man and one shoe was missing from his now bare left foot.

"Find a spot for him, a nurse for triage and I'll be right there." He needed to stabilize the woman before he could move to the next patient. He, as with every member of the large medical contingent, was overwhelmed. Within minutes of arriving, he and his team had joined the ranks of all those stretched very thin caring for every type of trauma imaginable.

The woman he was with now had a badly broken leg and a severe concussion. She was older and heavy-set which worsened her prospects to recover. Her breathing stubbornly remained erratic from shock and pain; he was quite worried about that bad combination along with her age and weight. Focusing once again on her immediate needs, Ponch leaned down to ensure her airway was unobstructed before fastening an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. He finished by running an IV line himself for fluids and pain medication.

Pausing a moment, Ponch smoothed her lank hair back from her face. There was no way she could hear him, but he offered her some kind words regardless. "You are going to hang in there for us, aren't you? No checking out on my watch .. we plan to find your family and get you home."

The tent was full to capacity with injured from the cyclone-ravaged island and they only had a small window of time as the eye of a sudden tropical storm lulled them into a false sense of security. The sun was currently shining outside however the wind was already increasing along with splotches of darker ominous clouds.

He nearly growled in frustration when two other volunteers jogged past him carrying a child between them. The little boy was about eight years old and crying sadly for his mother who was nowhere in sight. His right arm was strapped to his chest and he could only assume one of the little tyke's bones was broken.

"Doctor Ramirez!" One of the first workers was waving for him frantically and pointing towards the man that had just been brought in on the stretcher. The second was actively doing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

"He's having trouble breathing! Everyone's busy! What do we do?"

Reacting quickly, Ponch gathered emergency supplies on the run as he assumed what he might need to stabilize the injured man. Handing the aide a bag-valve mask, he had him rhythmically begin pushing oxygen as he used his stethoscope to manually confirm a somewhat rapid but weak pulse. A quick glance showed Ponch the man had a head injury but getting him to maintain a steady breath was the first course of action.

"Continue administering those breaths, please. Nice and steady." Ponch encouraged the aide as he looked for evidence of chest and lung injuries. He kept his stethoscope primed on the man's chest and then large fingers anchored to the grimy wrist. "He has a pulse .. heartbeat .. let's get him breathing better on his own."

After a few minutes, his newest patient leveled out and Ponch had the aide replace the BVM with a portable oxygen mask before turning to give someone else his next requests for more help. With approval, he sensed that the first volunteer was gently using a bottle of sterilized water to wash out the head wound. People were undeniably busy, but working well together.

"Okay, good. He's breathing, though his heartbeat is more erratic than I'd prefer. Get me one of my nurses. STAT." He made the demand as he cut away what was left of the man's shirt to gently palpitate his sternum, ribs and abdomen. Now though, the doctor's eyes were closed in concentration as his skilled fingers examined every inch of the man's bruised upper body. He cataloged the one broken rib and its potential for having damaged at least one lung. He sighed briefly in relief when the abdomen seemed to be clear for that at least meant no internal bleeding.

Opening his eyes, Ponch used a towel to wipe away some of the mud and was shocked to see more purpling bruises that resembled those sustained in a fight. The man also seemed to be caucasian based upon his coloring and he mentally hesitated. One of the man's wrists was broken and again as if in a brawl, his knuckles were equally bloody, bruised and badly swollen. Thumbing the man's wrists over gently, Ponch measured what seemed to be ligature marks from restraints. Further up the man's ravaged arms were signs of recent injection sites.

"Alright then." The doctor nearly made a face in disgust. The man was obviously a homeless junkie and had likely been in a bar fight prior to the storm hitting the island. He did have some trauma from the weather event but drugs were probably still in his system and with his debilitated state, now gravely limiting his ability to breathe properly. A basic pinch test proved the significant level of dehydration which was also another dismal negative for the ill and injured patient. The sunken ribcage indicated a clear lack of food for a number of days.

"Money for drugs, but never for food. It's no wonder you stopped breathing in your condition." Ponch was almost annoyed by his findings as he continued his evaluation. The man was in bad shape but the ligature marks were most disturbing. When he moved down to the lower extremities to examine his legs for broken bones and then the bare foot for lacerations, he hesitated again. The one bare ankle also hosted a perfectly round ring of bruises. Cutting through the pant's leg, a look at the other ankle revealed the same bruising and things suddenly didn't add up for the big doctor.

"This is strange though." He muttered to himself as he looked at those injuries that weren't necessarily storm related. The physical abuse was startling and he was concerned about how his initial examination was leading now in an entirely different direction.

It was then he noticed the tightly fisted hand and the bit of gold that peeked out. It took some doing to forcibly pry the object from the injured man's fingers. Ponch was more than shocked by what he saw after he wiped the front clean of water and mud.

"Oh no. It can't be ... not here." Ponch rocked on his feet in shock as he held the badge in front of his face and saw the credentials. Stunned to his core, the big doctor fisted it tightly in his own hand before roughly pushing the aide out of his way. When he leaned forward and saw the damaged features through the mud and filth, he tucked Danny's badge deeply into his own hospital coat pocket.

None of it made sense and yet .. here he was; this man most definitely was not a junkie, nor had he been in some back-street bar fight. He'd been abducted, beaten, drugged and by some miracle had escaped his kidnappers.

"Danny?" Ponch's fingers dug for the carotid artery. The detective was nearly unrecognizable under the thick layer of rain-slicked, muddy filth. His clothes were ruined and falling off his body as if he'd run through deep brush, briars and jungle. Based on his limited knowledge, the doctor didn't doubt that was exactly what he'd done during the height of the storm.

Carefully using the towel again, Ponch was shocked to find more bruises littering Danny's face and chin. He'd been beaten methodically around the chest, head and face. The doctor immediately thumbed his eyes open before checking for cranial and neck injuries with gentle fingers. The older and uncared for head wound ran across his scalp where it had once bled heavily to leave his hair crusty and clumped. Another hard knot graced the back of his head and seemed to be more recent.

"Come on. Danny?" Bending down to listen, he waited with baited breath to hear him again breathing on his own and then triple checked his weak pulse and respiration. "Keep breathing for me. Don't stop now."

Before the storm had ravaged the islands, Detective Danny Williams had been abducted at gunpoint seven days prior. He knew that Danny's Five-0 team had been searching for him desperately every minute of every one of those days. The doctor only had that most rudimentary knowledge about the abduction - he only knew that it had happened and not the particulars. But now the Detective had shown up most unexpectedly on a different island and in very rough condition.

Ponch came eye to eye with the aide he had so roughly pushed aside. The young man was now standing uncertainly with muddied gauze in hand as he watched the doctor's odd reactions. It was obvious that he thought he'd done something wrong. Waving off the aide's injured expression, Ponch began peppering him with questions.

"Where did you find this man? Was he alone? Did anyone come in with him? Has anyone asked for him in particular?"

"Ah, no. We found him trying to make it to the encampment from the north. He collapsed before we could get to him." The aide was nervous but coping under the doctor's judgmental eye. "He was alone. Completely alone and we brought him right in, doctor."

Ramirez stared at the aide deeply before mulling over the lack of information. It was both good and bad. Danny had gotten away but there was no insight into the kidnappers and how hot on his trail they might be.

"Get me a sat phone and get me my wife. Now." At that point, Ponch only wanted his wife Ellen to assist in treating the badly injured detective. He wanted the sat phone to contact Steve to at least inform him that their friend had been found in the most unlikely of places. He also wanted to draw blood to test the detective's system for whatever drugs had been pushed into him, but for that, he had no tools.

He also knew that as the wind began to whip up again and the tent walls billowed, there would be no leaving the island just yet. It had stormed for most of the night and early morning and they were only now in a very temporary lull. The fake beauty of the eye was dwindling quickly and round two was set to begin.

In an anger based upon a deep seated worry that he'd lose his too short transmission window, Ponch took a step back from where Danny lay to bellow loudly for the satellite phone. The Red Cross aide flinched but got moving. Most were quite unused to his habits and acerbic behavior. They jumped and then avoided his general vicinity while one of his staff scurried away to find Ellen Ramirez as he demanded.

"Now, damn it! I want that phone now!" The satellite phone was suddenly thrust into his searching hands just as Ellen Ramirez, jogged into the tent.

"Alphonse? What's wrong?" Without a word, he pointed meaningfully towards Danny as he began to hurriedly make his call to Five-0 headquarters. The connection was full of static but after a delay, he could clearly hear Steve.

"Oh my god! What's he doing here?" The doctor's voice was almost drowned out by his wife's stunned exclamation nearly in his ear as she took over the desperate triage. His practiced eye noticed her diligent recheck of Danny's too low vital signs and immediate attention to the head wound which she took over from the helpful aide to gently clean.

"Commander. Steve." With Ellen now there, Ponch left the tent for a more private spot outside. He could hear the annoyed stress in Steve's voice as the delayed connection at first limited their conversation.

_"McGarrett. Hello? Who is this?"_

His own preamble then was short and curt as he covertly watched to see who might be listening in. "Steve, it's Ponch. I don't have much time because of this damned storm. You need to know that I have Danny."

 _"What?"_ The stunned word was loud and full of a dark stress. _"Ponch, is this for real?"_

"Very." There was an emotional choked noise and in the background, the doctor could hear the sounds of faint words and a great deal of activity. Steve's voice changed again and Ponch could tell he'd been put on speaker so the rest of the team could listen.

_"Ponch, where are you? Are you at TAMC? We'll be right over!"_

The doctor cut off the anxious man though with a sharp whispered hiss. "No, no, no! Not TAMC ... we're on a mercy mission and we have him here; Danny was just brought in on a stretcher with some of the other local injured."

 _"I don't understand."_ The frustration and impatience were skyrocketing as Steve nearly shouted into his office phone. The delay in the satellite transmission was unnerving and the static only added to it. _"What? Did you say locals? Where are you? What do you mean that you have Danny?"_

"I'm on American Samoa volunteering with medical and international aid organizations for cyclone victims and another tropical storm is coming through. Listen to me, Steve. He's in bad shape but we have him. We're closest to Pago Pago."

 _"Ponch. Please."_ The high level of distress was evident in Steve's voice as he tried to absorb all that he was being told. American Samoa was nearly five or six hours away by direct flight and he'd no idea how Danny's abductors had moved him that far. The cruel _why_ was evident though because no matter what they had done, they never would have located the Detective.

_"Samoa? How .. why .. how bad is he? Was anyone with him? Can he talk .. can we talk to him?"_

They had been looking on the wrong island; they hadn't even considered that he'd been moved so far from home. Ponch had no way of knowing that the subtle clues and messages sent to the team had all been lies to lead the team on a wild goose chase. The big doctor ran his fingers through hair that was getting wet again as the first of the rain began to fall. He chose his words to communicate both Danny's urgent condition as well as the fact that he would do his best to keep him personally cared for.

"No, he's unconscious and it's not good. Steve. We're working on getting him stabilized now and I'll personally have him on the first emergency transport out as soon as the weather breaks."

Thunder cracked loudly over head and the delayed connection immediately worsened. Watching his words in case the wrong ears were managing to eavesdrop, Ponch was forced to virtually yell into the sat phone with the device wedged firmly into his ear.

"He came in alone and I understand the potential threat. We're going to be stuck here until this tropical depression passes over and our military can come back in for retrieval."

Before he lost service, the doctor heard Steve shouting in kind for him to be careful and to watch his own back. There was a faint promise that he would get there too if the doctor couldn't act first.

Ponch tossed the phone to a volunteer as he returned to Ellen with worried eyes before quickly surveying every single person in the emergency medical tent. He knew exactly what Steve meant about being careful and his senses now trilled ominously. Whoever had taken Danny and dropped him in Samoa would likely still be on the islands. No one was coming or going without proper authorization after the damage caused by the cyclone. It was made worse now as a second tropical storm entered the picture in full progress.

Based on the little he knew, besides Danny now, they were now all potentially in danger. Because of that, the doctor made a hasty decisive move.

Across from Ellen, he began packing supplies studiously into a large medical bag while whispering in her ear. "Our tent. We're going to need to keep him out of prying eyes and harms way."

He looked at her as if begging her forgiveness or understanding and she frowned in confusion. "What?" She whispered at his odd expression. "What are you thinking?" He was a smart man and not willing to take chances but she was surprised by his next orders.

"Call it."

"Excuse me? Call it? But .. Alphonse." Ellen whispered back with a shocked look from her husband's face and then down to Danny. He'd already hidden the small oxygen canister under the sheet near Danny's arm. So now, regardless of the oxygen mask which remained in place, her heart caught in her throat as he almost too calmly flipped the sheet up over Danny's face as if he'd died.

The two Red Cross workers were distracted with new arrivals and he raised his voice sternly. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that one clearly heard his orders and though he was sure not a single volunteer in that tent would be involved with any wrong doing, he was inordinately satisfied that his ploy was working. The story he was now creating needed to be seamless. Until Danny made it off the island or his team at least made it in to protect his life, Danny Williams needed to disappear again.

"Ellen, we tried but he crashed and we've lost this patient. Call it, please."

Digging her fingers painfully into the side of the stretcher, she verbally noted the time of death with tears barely hidden in her eyes although Danny continued to breathe shallowly under the light fabric. She jolted reactively when thunder boomed and a portion of the tent came loose from a strong wind gust.

"Take the other side please." With that distraction in full swing as personnel ran to make repairs, Ponch grabbed the front of the stretcher and motioned for her to take the bottom.

A separate tent housed the deceased and he demanded that she help him now. "We need the room for other injured. Help me to the morgue before the storm gets any worse."

"Absolutely." Ellen murmured as she took her place. Once outside the primary medical tent, moving was relatively easy as staff and volunteers made room for the big doctor and his wife. Neither stopped nor questioned, they had full access to do whatever they wished.

Hesitating briefly to ensure no one was looking their way, he and Ellen dodged to the right to duck between two tents and then directly into their own small temporary living quarters. They settled Danny towards the rear and Ponch whipped the light sheet off Danny's face to reposition the oxygen mask and ensure the tank was on full.

"It's obvious that he escaped which means that he is still in danger. You're going to stay with him and stabilize his vital signs. His left wrist is broken, as is a rib on his left side. He's also badly dehydrated and that head wound needs attention."

Used to taking his orders, Ellen simply nodded and made the urgent mental notes which also allowed her to focus and stay at her best. Ponch was working quickly as he positioned the stretcher where he wanted it and then dug out his own military weapon from his travel pack along with extra clips.

"Use this if you need to. If you don't know the person - don't trust the person." His orders were simple and Ellen was instantly on her game now that her frazzled nerves were calming.

"Stay put, Ellen. Tell no one that he's here with us. As of now, you don't feel well and are resting." As one of the primary high-level physician volunteers, Ponch needed to be visible for the foreseeable future and he sighed at his newly developing dual role. However and for the first time since arriving on American Samoa, Ponch considered the latest tropical depression a true gift.

"Keep him warm and quiet. I'll be back as soon as I can with more supplies." While the back-end of the new storm intensified outside the canvas walls of their tent, he smiled reassuringly at his wife before gently kissing her cheek.

"Never a dull moment, eh?"

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Notes: It's one hour earlier in American Samoa versus Hawaii. NOAA = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Five**

**FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST - OAHU (LATE AFTERNOON)**

The poor connection ended and Steve fell back into his chair with a stunned sharp laugh, only capable of staring mutely at Chin and Kono. He was so relieved that he couldn't even find the anger to accept that they'd all been looking in the wrong place for days on end. He was so utterly relieved, he couldn't find the fury that they'd all been played so well by Darien. Those emotions would return though and when they did, Darien wouldn't know what had happened. Right now as he sat slouched in his chair, Steve was speechless and his hands were shaking as volumes of stress suddenly left his face.

"We have him. He's alive." His voice nearly cracked at the relief of being able to say it out loud. Some  _time_  and some  _how_  between when the photograph had been taken and that very moment, Danny had managed to escape. The mobster Darien had been mocking them the entire time, but now the tables had been turned.

"He got away from them .. and then Ponch .. of all people." Steve thumbed burning eyes as his mind whirled on what to do next. "Damned lucky."

"But .. Samoa? He hasn't even been here .. this entire time." Kono's voice was an odd mix of too many emotions as she turned towards the door. "I'll call Duke. We need to let him know the search is off .. at least . .. he should know."

"No!" Steve lurched forward as he practically launched himself across his desk to stop her from leaving. "No, no one is to know about this. No one."

"You're right." Chin nodded in complete agreement. "If he escaped and they think we don't know ... it's the best of both worlds."

"Exactly. Now it's high time that we owned this."

The devious grin that slowly broke across Steve's face expressed his pleasure though this eyes were still fraught with worry. It was astounding that Danny had been so aggressively relocated to a distant island territory. The photographic evidence of his injuries came to mind along with Ponch's words of "he's in bad shape." The man never lied .. never .. and Steve's initial feeling of victory paled. But he'd still managed to escape and Danny was at least with friends that could care for him until Steve and the team found a way to get there.

"I need to play along." Steve stressed to his team. "Play along completely, but I need to get there too. I don't want to wait for Ponch and for his military transport to clear the way. If the kidnappers are still there .. and I'm sure they are .. I want them, too. But first, I want Danny home and safe. This must stay on the down low until I testify at the trial and Darien is put away."

"They could all be in danger." Chin added worriedly. "It's good news, but we need to do something. Danny is safe with Ponch but only in the short term. Plus, this puts Ponch and Ellen in a potential line of fire."

"What about Rachel .. and Grace?" The question was fair and Kono pursed her lips. "How quiet exactly do you want to keep this?"

"No one knows. I'll apologize later." He was adamant but it took a moment for them all to agree. Grace was inconsolable and had called Steve daily early on to talk about her father. Then she had simply stopped calling one recent day and nothing he or Rachel said would draw her out. The child was missing school, not eating and suffering from terrible nightmares.

"I know. But we can't." Steve gritted his teeth in determination before shaking his head. "No, not yet. It's too dangerous and anything can go wrong."

They needed to remain focused for the next few days and until after the trial. The ball was finally in Steve's court and he would not lose its power. Decision made, he contacted the highest Naval authorities he knew at Hickham. Radar proved that the back-end of the tropical storm would roll over Samoa within the next four hour block of time. With a minimum five and half-hour flight time, it would be pitch dark when they arrived and more close to dawn. However, they could leave now on the next transport and land within an hour or so of the storm ending.

Coordinating his needs with that of the already planned medical contingent, Steve soon had a well-defined operation in place as favors were called in and preparations were finalized.

"They're scrambling now instead of waiting until dawn .. grab what you need .. let's get going. The flight leaves as soon as we get clearance from radar and the most recent weather reports from NOAA. Keep your fingers crossed about the airport and landing. But keeping at least one runway accessible will be a priority for an emergency transport. We should be fine. " Gearing up completely, the three were soon running out the door towards Steve's large pickup truck.

"Let's bring him home, boss." Kono whispered happily as Steve finally smiled for the first time in days.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

****FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST - AMERICAN SAMOA (EVENING)**   
**

Ellen intentionally kept her camping lanterns dim to avoid throwing shadows as she worked on Danny in the small tent. With the back-end of the tropical storm now looming, it was darker than usual and she needed at least some artificial light. She was also doubtful anyone would notice or care but like her husband, she wasn't about to take any chances. She worked quickly to clean Danny's dirt-encrusted arms and then still had difficulty placing a line for intravenous fluids due to his extreme dehydration and the numerous bruising sites where he'd been injected with drugs so very recently.

"Oh Danny. What did they do to you?" Her eyes were worried as she jumped from task to task making notes about his low blood pressure, too fast respiration and elevated temperature. Every so often, small tremors ran through his body and the fingers on his right hand would spasm and clench.

She had only started to clean his head wound in the hospital tent, so moved back to that before intending to set the broken wrist. With her hand poised to pour sterilized water over his hair to resume cleaning the gash, Ellen was startled when she realized that Danny was quietly watching her. She was so happy to see his eyes open, that she missed the suspicion that lurked in them.

A large smile broke across her face as she leaned over him to brush wet hair back from his forehead. "Hi, Danny. We've been so worried about you."

To her side, she had a stash of bottled drinking water and Ellen quickly opened one as he swallowed hard and then coughed under the mask. He slowly tracked her hand and flinched when she moved so quickly but relaxed when he saw the fresh plastic bottle. He then allowed her to remove the oxygen mask and gently raise his head to help him carefully drink.

Danny closed his eyes for a moment when she lay his head back not only to will the water to stay down, but also to gather his strength to ask one first important question. She went to replace the mask, but he stayed her hand because he was trying to form that one question in his mind and then wasn't sure his voice would cooperate.

He had no idea where he was and the woman was at least very kind. With the stethoscope hung around her neck and the TAMC embroidered shirt, he assumed her to be a doctor or a nurse. The very last thing he could remember was the sun breaking through the storm clouds as he slipped and slid down a mud-drenched hill towards what looked like a nearly destroyed town. He saw people and he kept going because he needed help so desperately.

A tent city of sorts had been setup near the ruined buildings and he could see organized work in progress. Intuitively, he knew it was a centralized point for storm victims to get shelter, food and medical help. With the number of displaced and injured, Danny felt he could lose himself in the mix and get some sort of help, too. It was farther than he thought though and he'd been at the last of his energy reserves by then and had collapsed much against his will just as two figures began running in his direction.

So now, while he seemed to have a qualified medical person next to him, he was confused to find he was in a small private tent and not something more like a hospital or medical ward. This woman was also the only one with him. Because of these things, much of his suspicion remained firmly intact.

He winced at the sharp ache in his wrist as he raised his left arm to judge the IV line and the plain fluids which were confirmed by her warm smile. She insisted on intercepting the arm and explaining gently that his wrist was indeed broken but she'd care for that after checking his head wound. A blood pressure cuff lay idle on his right bicep and she had clean gauze and the opened bottle of sterile water in her lap.

When she saw his quizzical expression, Ellen smiled again and repeated herself. "Danny, you're going to be fine. Ponch is here too and we're going to make sure you stay safe. We've already called Steve to let him know that we found you, but I'm going to clean that nasty head wound and then set your wrist."

He nodded weakly because most of it all sounded fair and for whatever reason, her voice did soothe him. He could hear the high winds from the tropical storm picking up again outside and wondered if his three kidnappers had survived the mudslide. For the moment at least, he seemed to be in the best possible place.

"I'm Danny?" He breathed the question out and was taken aback by the woman's gaping mouth. "Danny?"

"What?" She seemed shocked as she settled her hand gently on his chest. "Well .. yes."

"Okay. Danny." He repeated the name for himself. That too sounded right on his tongue so he experimented with taking a deep breath and then winced in pain from a grinding in his chest. He was  _Danny_  and maybe that badge was his but he was too tired to get that deep into something that he sensed could be more traumatic a conversation. By some divine intervention, not only had he found medical help, the woman seemed to know him and she was obviously very worried for him, too.

His hunch was proven to be correct when his next question clearly unnerved the kind woman entirely and he felt as if he should apologize as tears filled her eyes.

"I'm sorry. Who are you ... a doctor? Who are .. the others?" Talking exhausted him and he coughed raggedly as his throat constricted. With care, she helped him again take small sips from the water bottle before she found her own ability to answer him.

"But. No." She paled in disbelief and then rubbed a soothing circle on his chest as she eyed the head wound with concern. Bruises marked his jaw line and portions of his face as well and she began to suspect these as the problem. To keep them both from becoming too concerned, she tried to smile and offer a reasonable explanation.

"You know, I think you're just exhausted from stress, Danny. Or, the drugs. I guess that's got to be it."

Her answer confused him and he frowned unhappily as he barely kept his voice at an audible level. "No, I don't know."

His head ached terribly as did most of his body, but he was sure of only one thing. Though he felt he might be able to trust this woman, he had no idea who anyone was - including himself or the woman sitting next to him. In a large way, it was a bit unnerving that she knew more about him than he did, himself.

"I don't know you." He insisted wearily as he closed his eyes and rubbed his aching forehead with his right hand. He peered up at her as she took his fingers gently in both her hands. She was trying to smile around her sadness and for that, Danny realized again that he had upset her.

"I'm Ellen Ramirez and Ponch is my husband. I'm a trauma nurse at Tripler Army Medical Center and Ponch .. Doctor Alphonse Ramirez .. is a doctor. We're your friends, Danny." Biting her lip and feeling ridiculous at needing to explain her own identity, Ellen waited for him to absorb that small bit of information. There was something off about his mannerisms and she realized with a start that everything about him was too quiet. Besides his watchfulness, there were no gestures or hand movements. Hardly a finger even twitched on his good hand. His usually animated face was closed off and he was virtually hiding behind one worded questions and answers.

"We've been your friends for a long time." It was obvious that he was confused and more than wary of every noise he could hear outside the tent. "Do you know where you are?"

"Hawaii?" It was his best guess based solely on the badge and he offered it after a slight pause. Ellen's perturbed expression instantly said he was wrong though.

"They took you from there ... I know that much. Darien's people." Ellen explained quietly. "They moved you a long way to prevent your team from finding you. We're on American Samoa right now though. Near Pago Pago."

"Oh." He blinked once and then twice before falling fully silent since he wasn't sure how he felt about this new piece of information. A crack sounded loudly outside and he heard the voices before she did. It set him on edge and he climbed painfully to his elbow.

"Who's that?"

"It's okay .. stay down, Danny. Just relax." Her voice was soft and calm as she kept her hand on his chest when he tried to suddenly get up when two men jogged by through the wind-driven rain. Both were likely only on their way to their own tent for a well-deserved break. Their voices were loud as they shouted over the storm though and Danny flinched at their barked out laughter.

"Need to go." He whispered as he tried to move her restraining hands. "Not safe."

"Do you know the names of who took you? How many there were?" Danny stopped his weak struggle at her soft questions before shaking his head.

"Three men; always the same three. I never saw their faces and they never spoke a single word." He swallowed hard again as distant voices reached their ears - this time in a foreign tongue - and Ellen shushed him gently as he tried to sit up. He was nervous and jumpy but in no condition to do more than rest.

"We're here as volunteers to help the injured after the cyclone hit this area. There are actually a great many medical and lay volunteers working here through the Red Cross, Salvation Army and through other organizations. This is an international disaster relief station, but we moved you out of the main hospital to keep you safe. You are safe now."

His eyes continued to betray his uncertainty though and he shook his head to object to her last few words.

"Not safe." He insisted as she kept a firm, restraining hand on his chest.

"I know you're confused but do you trust me, Danny?" He hesitated at her abrupt question. Her mouth had become a stern line and he realized that this Ellen Ramirez was perhaps a bit annoyed with him. He quirked an intrigued eyebrow before slowly nodding when he realized that he did, and she heaved in a deep approving breath before continuing.

"Steve is your best friend and you work together. Steve McGarrett. Yes?" But Danny's eyes stayed blank as Ellen's mouth remained rather grim. Her side of the conversation was exasperating at best and she had never anticipated that he might not have a clue about his identity or past.

With one finger she tapped his shoulder firmly to make her next words count. "Well, he is and you two are officers on the Governor's special task force which you all call 'Five-0'. Steve and the rest of your team have been desperate to find you after you went missing about one week ago. It all happened because of this mobster's arrest - this " _Darry_ " Darien - and because of his trial. I don't know much more than that .. other than your team and HPD have been working day and night trying to find you."

What she said supported the embellished words on the badge that he'd found on his waist. It made sense and for that, he was distinctly relieved. The badge ..  _his badge_  .. said the holder was a 'Detective' and he realized that " _Darry_ " Darien's name was something he knew. He made a sound under his breath because he did know that the two Sneakers and Boots took ultimate direction from this mobster.

Ellen watched him closely as he suddenly began searching his waist and then tapped his pants' pockets. "What do you need?" She asked quietly. "What are you looking for?"

"My badge." He must have lost it or dropped it as he made his way through the jungle and he felt its loss. "I had a badge. It's gone."

But both Sneakers boys and Boots worked for this mobster and he frowned more deeply when a piece of paper appeared in his mind's eye. He knew this one memory was of a note from which many others had been received.

_"Friday, June 14th. D. Day."_

He wasn't certain why he would recall this one particular message though until he asked the nurse. "What happened on June 14th?"

"It was the day you went missing." Danny made another knowing sound under his breath. Though it was more of a sense or a group of feelings, Danny almost could remember splintered pieces of what had happened. It was surreal and he felt like what had happened had been to another person.

"This is enough talking. You need to rest now." Her voice stayed low and calm as she replaced the oxygen mask. He was exhausted but resistant to the concept of actually sleeping. However, he failed at pushing the oxygen mask off his face for the nurse's strong hand and his eyes wound up closing on their own.

"Go to sleep, Danny." The impatient tone was persistent and he sighed. He had more than before, but it wasn't quite enough and he muttered her name as a type of objection.

"Ellen."

"No. Sleep!" He was exhausted, dizzy and wanted both to run and to sleep. With a stubborn effort, he forced himself to hazily blink again back up at her to reassure himself. She almost got him to smile at her dramatic huffed sound of annoyance as he fought the need to rest. That tiny flicker of emotion was more familiar and natural and Ellen felt slightly relieved.

"Yes, you should sleep now, Danny." Ellen grinned at his obstinacy as she continued to rub soothing circles on his chest.

His last objection died on his lips because her eyes were still kind and caring; not even remotely similar to either Sneaker or especially to Boots. He wanted to know her and felt that he should, but he simply couldn't remember. He felt her checking the oxygen mask and sighed around a deeper, settling crisp inhale of oxygen as he allowed his eyes to finally close to her calming words.

"You're safe here with me and with Ponch. I promise." Ellen sat there quietly until his breathing evened out and slowed to a more natural rhythm. As he finally lost the battle, she diligently set about cleaning the head wound; pleased when he never stirred. When she was satisfied, she gently set his wrist in a splint to keep it straight and protected from further damage. Danny moaned in his sleep and sweat dotted his forehead as she finished splinting the broken bones.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as her triage continued to evaluate the bruises on his chest and the broken rib. But she feared pushing more than fluids or antibiotics into his IV line due to the unknown drugs that could still be in his system.

That would be a decision completely reserved for her husband. Ellen looked up with a start and had her hand on her gun when a large shape ducked quickly out of the storm into the tent. The shape brought a sting of rain and cold wind with it and she crouched to ready herself before realizing who it was.

"Ellen!" Ponch put his hands up in surprise when he came face to face with the silver muzzle and his wife's fierce gaze.

"Easy!" He exclaimed in a sharp whisper to his overly jumpy wife as he knelt across from her with more medical supplies, coffee, sandwiches and what looked like hot soup in a small container. Her eyes were filled with annoyance as she rubbed her face from the fright of his too quick entrance.

"For God's sake, be careful." She hissed defensively at him as she sat with a thump and then lay the weapon next to her right hip. She made a disgusted face at his lame apologetic expression.

"He's been beaten." Ellen blurted the words as she continued cleaning the mud and debris from Danny's torso. She flinched herself as each gentle swipe revealed more angry welts and deeply discolored skin.

"And drugged." Ponch added just as angrily before offering a genuine compliment. "He's actually sleeping now though, and he looks a bit better."

He narrowed his eyes when Ellen merely shrugged before whipping off his own stethoscope and retaking vitals that his wife had recorded only fifteen minutes prior. "Blood pressure is still depressed. His respiration is rapid but that has improved too. He'll need to remain on oxygen indefinitely; has he woken and was he lucid?"

"He did for a short time and he managed to keep some water down." Ellen nodded as she rocked back on her heels. Danny was sleeping very soundly now and she was sure nothing would wake him as they continued to whisper over him.

"We talked and he seemed coherent. He is in pain though .. and different. He's not exactly himself." Ellen stammered before voicing the true concern. "Other than being taken by three men and knowing that mobster's name, he doesn't remember anything at all."

"Alright." Ponch was distracted as he gently evaluated the newly splinted wrist. "That's to be expected with the head injury and the trauma of the last few days. We have no idea what drugs have been forced into his system either. When he wakes again, I'll decide if we should administer morphine."

"No, Alphonse. You aren't listening, it's more than that." Her anxious hand on his arm drew his attention to her large eyes and then the actual tone of her voice. "He doesn't know who he is .. or who we are. He doesn't remember anything about his past and he's acting ... differently."

"Oh." Ponch's shocked whisper matched the look on his face. "Nothing more than Darien's name? How different exactly is  _different_?"

"None of us are familiar to him. Not Steve or Five-0 .. nothing at all about the task force."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." The doctor offered hesitantly but Ellen was insistent as she interrupted his reasoning. "Stress and trauma will do things like this. Ellen .."

"No. Alphonse. No. I had to tell him his own name." He watched as his wife's eyes filled unexpectedly with tears. "As for different, he's too quiet .. too careful and reserved .. he seems removed and just .. different."

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	6. Chapter 6

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Six**

****FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST - AMERICAN SAMOA (EVENING)** **

"I'm sure they're here." Ponch informed Ellen after the disturbing discussion regarding Danny's evident loss of memory. Working quietly together, the two had completely dressed Danny's injuries and had moved on to dry, clean clothes. Exhaustion had also clearly taken its toll as Danny simply slumbered on during their efficient ministrations. The now first bag of fluids was changed for new and he never moved for a second intravenous port in his opposite arm being used for a stronger course of antibiotics. The doctor was now studiously wrapping Danny's right foot in comfortable bandages as he shared his latest story. Clean socks soon followed, blankets were tucked and then the couple sat companionably to eat a late dinner.

"So, if I'm right, we need to be quite careful." His wife was sure he was correct based on what had happened. Her worry only increased as she listened to the storm and checked her watch. They had many hours to go before the first transport might arrive as scheduled for the next afternoon. If it could leave from Hickham and if it could be cleared to land. Much had to be coordinated and Mother Nature was fickle.

Before being able to return to his private tent to be with Ellen and Danny, a handful of new displaced people had sought refuge in the encampment and Ramirez had assisted with their initial care. They totaled five in number and included a mother with an injured toddler, an elderly man and then ... two very, out of place men.

Of the two men, one was definitely more mobile and clearly unfriendly - something Ponch and a French doctor noticed as he shifted his slender friend's weight and demanded attention. He had his semi-conscious colleague's arm draped over his shoulders and his free hand anchored to the man's waist. Ramirez considered the smaller man more of a boy really which made the association more the strange. A bedraggled camping knapsack was thrown over the taller man's shoulder. While his friend was wearing obviously ruined designer sneakers, he was wearing mud-encrusted military issue hiking boots.

Impatient and rude, he was clearly used to giving orders and being just as quickly appeased. "I want someone to help my friend. We were camping in the hills and got caught in a mudslide. I think his knee is dislocated."

That odd introduction had happened two hours ago and Ponch had daringly split the case work with the French Doctor Laroux by purposefully taking command of the more mobile, rude individual. An M.P. had lingered by each as a certain precautionary feeling seemed to warrant extra care with the two oddly paired strangers. Their entrance unsettled an already stress filled situation and people automatically were giving them a wider than necessary berth.

There were issues from the start. First, the man was loathe to leave his knapsack. It sat cradled in his lap the entire time the doctor examined him. He in turn, examined every single face in the tent with a dark mistrustful intensity.

Under the mud-encrusted jacket and black t-shirt, Ponch had found a rather nasty gash along the man's ribcage which had needed suturing. Despite a bruise on his forehead and a few other very minor cuts and scrapes, nothing else was wrong though. So other than the deep gouge, the man had been deemed luckier than his friend whose dislocated knee was reset by Doctor Laroux's skilled hands. This younger friend now lay comfortably on a cot, evidently heavily medicated and sleeping peacefully.

Ponch had attempted basic conversation and quickly found the first man quite hostile. He only could confirm the most basic of information with the registration desk; that ' _Frank Madison_ ' was American and on vacation with ' _Pete Channing_ ' when the cyclone hit the islands. As he personally treated Madison, Ramirez only learned that the man had a corporate job but did not say where. He could not or would not explain why they would remain at a remote campsite after such a treacherous weather event. He had nothing to say to the doctor's bland comment about the early warning systems and the community leaders who had been informed about the storm's progress. It wasn't as if the communities were wholly unprepared and citizens and visitors alike had been told what they should be doing to prepare.

"I'm honestly not sure how you would miss something like this. " Ramirez had stated with a bland chuckle as he stitched the deep wound. "You'd have to live under a rock."

The chuckle was definitely not returned and Ramirez abstained from more discussion. The island was so well prepared in advance of the storm, deaths only numbered three so far. Most people were displaced and soon to be forced to deal with the more prevalent problems related to lack of clean water, shelter and loss of power. As with all bad weather events, post-storm cleanup could take months.

The largest of all issues was more significant. If the two were campers and had stayed in the National Park, they would have been required to register and rangers would have notified them of the pending dangers ... if .. _only if ._. the Park had actually permitted camping in the first place. According to a local volunteer, her quiet whisper confirmed that camping was indeed prohibited. With some continued and very careful prompting, Frank only growled out that the lesser tropical storm had indeed surprised them and they'd made an error in judgement.

The big doctor towered over Frank but that did little to intimidate the man who merely wanted out of the medical tent now that he and his friend were cared for to his satisfaction. His only next interest was in finding someone with any knowledge of when flights might resume so they could leave.

So after stitching the man up and handing him antibiotics, there was no reason for the doctor to keep Madison in the crowded medical tent. Once Ponch was done with him, Frank briefly paid Pete a visit and then ducked out the canvas door to jog through the rain towards the communal food tent. It simultaneously forced Ponch into a corner he disliked very much as he watched Danny's abductor essentially run away without a care in the world.

Singling out a helpful M.P., Ramirez quietly asked that Frank Madison be covertly shadowed and kept away from the volunteer's private quarters. He demanded that someone also remain in the medical tent with an eye on the so-called 'Pete Channing'.

As he had feared, trouble was paying them a visit and after a fifteen-hour day, Ponch begged himself off shift for his own rest period.

He related his concerns to Ellen now that he was with her in their tent. As was his right, he had visited the makeshift commissary first for their own meals. On the way out, a quick glance confirmed Frank in a far corner with his face buried in a hot cup of coffee. The knapsack was under the table and wedged firmly between his knees; no one seemed inclined to sit near the imposing stranger. It was as if he carried a permanent 'do not disturb or else' bubble around his very being. Their eyes had met again though and Ponch recognized the nasty suspicion aimed in his direction. In an attempt to provide a cover, the doctor had merely nodded what he hoped was a friendly 'fare-thee-well' as he wandered casually away.

"They're here, Ellen. I'm sure of it actually. We need to be careful, but I may have tipped this Madison off by accident." Not knowing how many were involved with abducting Danny, he was hesitant to draw even more attention to the two men.

"He said there were three." Ellen offered. "The same three men." They were both worried that Danny could be wrong though. His confusion was of great concern and regardless, if three was a valid count, then one was still out there.

Though to Ponch it was becoming blatantly obvious now, there was also no actual reason to have them questioned or arrested either without valid proof of a wrong-doing. Things could escalate badly and more innocent lives could be put at risk.

"I think it wiser to watch them, keep a very low profile, and to wait. This guy Pete is certainly not going anywhere with that knee injury and I doubt Madison will leave him unattended. We can get Danny off the island when the first transports return tomorrow. Steve will be better prepared to know what to do after that."

Ellen wholeheartedly agreed. There were both pros and cons to what had just occurred. There were certain very good benefits to knowing where two of three criminals were located even if it was a bit too close for comfort. Out of habit, she rechecked Danny's vital signs and smoothed the blankets over his chest but she was really internalizing about his memory issues.

"He's going to be fine." She snorted to herself and wound up smiling without even acknowledging her husband's astute observations. She knew that he would be smiling his particular fond smile and it would make her laugh. It was their dance and he chuckled softly because he knew what she was thinking yet again.

"Good night, Alphonse." Unable to help herself, Ellen looked up and laughed. "You're impossible!"

"But .. you love me." Sly and laced with meaning, it made her roll her eyes to the roof of the tent. As expected, it made her admit the obvious and he was waiting for it with a genuine pleasure.

"I suppose that I do." It was their dance and she laughed more. She certainly did. Ellen also knew that he would be too keyed up to sleep right away so she collapsed tiredly onto her own small cot. She fell asleep still smiling and listening to Ponch's contented hum as he re-read through paperwork for those that were most critical in the medical tent.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

****FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST - AMERICAN SAMOA (EVENING to LATE NIGHT)** **

Ponch was right that he'd wrongly piqued Frank Madison's interest and distrust. As soon as the big doctor strolled from the tent and into the storm, he followed him a few steps until he realized an M.P. was tracking his movements much too closely. He cursed under his breath and his hand twitched from where it wished to dig into his pack for his weapon. The damnable doctor suspected something and Frank was at a loss as to how the man might be so wary.

"Unless you're here, Danny-boy." Frank muttered to himself as he stood idly for a moment in the rain. His slight change of direction brought him back to the hospital tent where he briefly visited with his cohort Pete who was sleeping blissfully due to a variety of pain medications. Wishing he could do the same, Frank sighed in disgust while he boldly stared down his military shadow. But they had both needed medical attention and help after the untimely mudslide.

Frank was in much bigger trouble if his employers learned that they'd lost the Detective much too soon. They wanted him alive until McGarrett was called to the stand. It was demanded that the Detective remain alive until the final word was given. Once that happened, all bets for the Detective's life were off. The prosecution planned to call the Commander early on to bring rapid closure to the murder charges. Frank was told that could happen upon the heels of the opening statements and to plan for Tuesday or no later than Wednesday of that same week.

The odd encounter with one Doctor Ramirez from Tripler Army Medical Center irked him and set him on edge. Standing near Pete, Frank looked around the tent but saw only local injured islanders for the most part. The occasional vacationer was obvious too and he realized that he did stand out from the large majority of those seeking refuge there.

There was no physical sign of Danny Williams and yet Frank felt he was missing something. The big formidable doctor was undoubtedly the key with his nosy questions and watchful ways. Biding his time and having no real place to go, Madison was seething inside as he waited near Pete for a few hours. He needed a plan or a lucky break. He needed something to prove his own suspicions right.

That opportunity arrived as he was beginning to doze near the cot. The sharp reports of a gun reached everyone's ears in the large medical tent. Madison lurched to his feet with others who reacted to the gunfire and screams which sounded from the direction of the food tent. When the M.P.'s were forced to break up an unexpected violent brawl, Frank took his chance and disappeared into the storm.

His only goal was the row of tents behind the large hospital area. He had lost Ramirez to this very direction long ago, but Frank was a patient, obstinate man and he valued his own life. Madison needed to secure the wayward Detective before Darien was the wiser. The big doctor's attention was strange and the fact that an M.P. had monitored his every move clearly indicated a concern.

Williams was here.

He felt it strongly as he pulled up the hood to his jacket and hunkered down in the darkening shadows to wait. Along with a satellite phone, the small box holding a vial and syringe plus extra zip-ties lay inside the pack on his shoulder. In the pocket of his jacket though, he fisted his black hood and caressed the loaded handgun with the hope that he'd need to use his special tools once more.

As new shouts came his way, Frank grinned at his contrived luck. Someone was looking for Doctor Ramirez to help with the latest emergency; when he stopped by one particular tent, Frank had his answer.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: This chapter is Ponch's POV while Frank Madison is biding his time with Pete and then the coming issue with the fight in the food tent.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Seven**

**FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST - AMERICAN SAMOA (LATE EVENING)**

Danny woke a few short hours later with a start but then was pleased that he at least recognized the tent with the kind woman.  _Ellen_ , he remembered with some satisfaction. He was still wearing the oxygen mask and he sucked the air in greedily to clear his head. He could feel the bandages and the aching pain from his injuries but he would admit feeling more comfortable overall. The light was dim from the camping lanterns and the storm continued to rage outside as rain pelted the tent and gusts of wind rippled the canvas sides and roof. Not much had changed during the time he'd first woken and his deeper sleep until he looked around the space. Or, so he thought.

Expecting to see Ellen, he was stunned to find a large older man sitting at his feet with his head bowed as he read a large sheaf of papers. Danny's right hand fisted uncontrollably from nerves and he stilled himself as he stared at the unfamiliar shadow. Cautiously looking around, Danny eventually found Ellen sleeping peacefully off to his left on her cot. The man was obviously her husband, the doctor she had described and the other person supposedly here to help him. But he couldn't shake his unease.

"Hello, Danny." His eyes flew back in alarm as a large shadow momentarily blocked one of the lanterns. He felt trapped under the oxygen mask with a useless left hand and equally stranded on his back. He immediately schooled his expression and eyed the man suspiciously. Though he'd try to remain quiet, the man had seen him wake and he'd moved closer now. As with Ellen, a stethoscope hung from the big man's neck and he wore a shirt with the TAMC logo. Without waiting for Danny's acknowledgment, he snared his wrist and then pumped up the blood pressure cuff.

"How do you feel?" The doctor's size and breadth was overwhelming in the small space and Danny could only stare up as he cautiously measured the man's intent. Danny's reticent attitude obviously puzzled him as he frowned and slowly released his wrist.

"Not up to talking? That would be quite unlike the Danny Williams I know so well." His chuckle was soft and deep but Danny couldn't find the energy or the reason to smile in return. Instead his face remained closed off as he tried to move away.

"Who are you?" They were both whispering so as not to disturb Ellen. The doctor with a warm smile and he with a wary expression. Danny knew that the man would be her husband, but he needed to hear it again. Eventually as before with the nurse, Danny found that he had disappointed the large man when his face sadly fell.

"Different. Yes, you are." He murmured to himself with an unconscious glance towards his wife. Recovering his smile, he turned back to Danny and ignored his tense, suspicious posture.

"You can call me Ponch, Danny, or Doctor Ramirez. Whichever you prefer. I'm sure Ellen explained who we are to you earlier. We are the only two that know you are here right now." Danny lay there unmoving as the doctor deftly checked his vitals,  _tsked_  over his still too low blood pressure, and then made sure he was comfortable. The doctor clearly knew him but there was nothing about the man that he could call on to jar his memory back into place.

He shifted to take a quiet seat next to the stretcher so that he could examine the bruises across Danny's torso. "You got worked over pretty well by these men." There was nothing for him to say in reply, so Danny merely lay there giving out with a soft pained gasp when Ponch sketched lightly over the damaged rib.

"The bruising is bad enough, but I'm not seeing any internal bleeding. They either knew exactly what they were doing or you've been extremely lucky." The shirt was pulled back down and the man simply waited him out; giving out with an almost aggravated sigh when Danny remained silent. Lucky wasn't a word he would personally use and after Boots took on Sneakers Two, the sad truth was its purposeful exactness.

"Ellen said you saw three men?" A quick churning of emotions crossed Danny's face before he nodded in assent. It was so fast, Ponch wasn't certain if it had happened.

"Okay. Can you describe them?" Silence again but this time it was because Danny was choosing his words. It was a beginning and Ponch patiently waited because he needed to be sure.

"They were masked and never spoke but each had a way ... a manner about them. I could tell them apart. They're each very distinct and had certain jobs."

Now Ponch smiled without reservation. Danny was on his game and he did it exceptionally well; nothing had been lost when it came to keen observation and the importance of details. The astute detective was firmly in place and Danny didn't disappoint when he described Sneakers One, Two and then Boots. He only looked away and became discreetly paranoid when Danny described Pete Channing and Frank Madison perfectly. There was zero doubt now that Sneakers One and Boots had definitely arrived. He was obviously distressed when he learned Madison was the boss and Danny instantly caught it. But the third missing man and his unknown identity could still be the most dangerous.

"Why?" The doctor scrubbed at his face before answering. He didn't want to spook Danny more than he was, but didn't want to lie. It was a sensitive balancing act as his ill friend started to shift uncomfortably. Ramirez had no doubt that Danny would react and very badly at that.

"We need to be prepared if they show up here." It was a delicate truth and he left it as Danny seemingly stared right through him. Alarms were going off as Danny's eyes went from his face to the zippered tent flaps. His hand began to rend and worry the blanket, and so to protect his patient, Ramirez decided to offer nothing more.

But Ponch still made a face as they had a stand-off of sorts. He could see now what Ellen had meant by Danny being so very different. So he tried to move on with a more benign question. The first one he had posed in fact and hoped it would adequately change the subject he, himself, had initiated.

"So Danny, can you at least tell me if you are more comfortable?"

Noting now the sudden appearance of an over-sized powder blue t-shirt on his body, Danny was surprised to find his filthy clothes had been completely changed. He could feel bandages securing his right foot while warm socks covered both feet and he no longer felt as if he'd been caked in mud.

"Umm, this is ...yes. Well, okay." Ponch smiled warmly at his muffled consternation. "Maybe .. embarrassing." It opened a tiny more friendly door and Ponch took it willingly.

"The shirt's mine and the sweat pants have been graciously borrowed from a colleague. Everyone carries spare socks here. You're rundown enough and can't afford a chill, my friend."

After days of being sorely neglected and not offered even a modicum of kindness, Danny sank lower into the blankets he was covered in. Reading the reaction incorrectly, Ponch was concerned as he gently rechecked Danny's chest and broken wrist.

"How do you really feel? Are you in any pain or having trouble breathing? I can administer pain medication .. if you need it."

"Fine. No." His continued too short answers only prompted more movement though as Ponch opened a small white styrofoam container. The oxygen mask was then removed and pushed off to the side allowing the scent of chicken soup to reach his nose.

"It's only warm now, but do you think you can keep some broth down?" Danny stared numbly at the small plastic spoon held so calmly in the large hands. He couldn't recall the last time he'd eaten anything and the big man seemed to understand his continued silence and now, his discomfort.

Without another word, Danny accepted the doctor's help and fell back to sleep watching as he resumed his reading at his sentry-like post near the tent's closed flap. He was in awe of the man and even if he felt better, would be utterly without words.

Ponch had re-taken his seat after realizing that he had something special for Danny in his pocket. He had given it to him with a beaming smile and a gentle pat to his hand.

Firmly anchored once more in his fingers was the gold badge that he thought he had lost. His badge.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST - AMERICAN SAMOA (LATE NIGHT)**

Three loud out-of-place cracks sounded on the heels of overwhelming thunder to startle Ponch from his focused reading. He held his breath and listened to the rising commotion outside as he tried to decide if it was the storm ... or more.

"Doctor Ramirez!" The shout through the noise brought him to his feet and woke both Ellen and Danny from their sleep. And then the doctor immediately fell forward onto his knees to keep Danny from trying to roll up to his own feet.

"It's alright. Just hold on for a second." Ramirez whispered urgently as Danny tried to fight past his hands. "It's just Marco and he's one of my staff."

"Doctor Ramirez! We have an emergency and need you right away!" Unsure of how to quite help, Ellen was now standing between the closed tent flap and the two men.

"What's wrong, Marco?" He bellowed back without moving to leave or letting go of Danny.

"There's been a fight in the food tent. A local had a gun and he shot three people before the M.P.'s could put a stop to it."

"You better go." Ellen whispered as she knelt next to them, but he was already shouting back the same to the worried voice on the other side.

"I'm getting dressed and then I'm on my way!" The frantically shouted  _'thank you, sir!_ ' had the big doctor grumbling about the misbegotten dangers of frightened, stressed people. Danny was breathing hard as Ramirez pushed him back down to the stretcher.

"Stay here." He raised his finger warningly for Danny's sake. "You need to trust us. You're injured, there's a bloody damned strong storm outside and you are to stay here, Detective. Do. Not. Move."

Ellen covered her mouth but was too late to prevent the smile from leaking through. Danny's expression was one of stunned surprise as her husband gave him a rather severe ultimatum. In a way, she had hoped he would argue but instead, Danny sank back down as she tucked the blankets back around his upper body. There were no objections lobbed or words of wisdom .. just silence.

"With the three wounded, I should go with you." She was torn between tending to Danny and the pull of her profession; especially with three injured and no clue yet as to how badly.

"Ellen, with what we now know ... it could be too dangerous." She stopped pushing immediately when she derived his meaning. "You need to stay with Danny."

"I know." She sighed because he was right and she took back the gun he handed her. "Be careful .. come back as soon as you can."

His heart was admittedly still pounding from the loud shouts for the doctor. Even with the man's pointed look, it took some work for Danny to control his sudden urge to leave as he watched the whispered exchange of words with some interest. The couple was earnest in trying to keep him safe and the call was a true emergency quite unrelated to himself. Forcing himself to lay there, he watched them and was mildly surprised when Ellen gave in because he was sure she'd overcome her husband's reasonings. Along with the doctor's questions, Danny began to wonder if something else was really happening.

Regardless of that passing thought, just a few minutes later Danny found himself insisting that his newly re-discovered friend at least go check on the status of her husband and the wounded.

"Go with him." Her aggravation and professional worry made her jittery with constant glances towards the outside.

"I'm fine." He insisted as she clearly hesitated and then placed the gun off to the side on her cot. Ellen sat there next to it for a minute before getting up to once more pace the small area.

"No." She sighed and crossed her arms worriedly. "No, it's a bad idea."

"Yes. Go see." He waved her off and relaxed into the blankets uncertain again as to why she studied him so closely.

Ellen made a face as she picked up her jacket and then unzipped the tent flap. She could take just five minutes to check in; just to be sure Ponch was fine. But even though Danny was coherent and communicating, it was in too distant a manner. For a moment she had a spike of fear that he might actually try to leave, too. Still, Ellen wavered indecisively and then wondered what she was doing because their plan was so obviously necessary. She had no business leaving the tent.

"No, Danny. I'm staying here." She tossed her jacket back to the cot and was about to zip the flap closed again when a strong arm encircled her throat. It choked off her breath like an iron vise and her eyes widened in fear as a gun was placed to her temple.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	8. Chapter 8

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Eight**

**FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST - AMERICAN SAMOA (LATE NIGHT)**

Danny saw the terrible hiking boots first as Ellen was shoved back into the tent and Boots simply appeared. He hadn't waited long for the big doctor to trot after the volunteer. He was never one to hesitate when he had an opportunity. Sneaking up on the woman and getting into the tent had been remarkably easy and now he nearly laughed at his win.

He had the woman so tightly by the throat, she was already choking as she pulled hard against his forearm. He watched in glee as Danny yanked off the oxygen mask while struggling up to his right elbow in order to gain leverage, but was unable to use his left hand. He was forced to flounder for a moment before only achieving a half-seated position.

"Let her go." Danny was stunned by the sudden arrival. He was weak and his rib creaked and protested unhappily as he bit back the moan. He wanted the gun that had been left on the cot and he desperately wanted to put an end to Boots personally as Ellen's face reddened and she began to fight for air. But even if things hadn't spiraled out of control so very quickly, the weapon was too far away and he was badly hampered by his broken wrist.

"So, Detective ... we meet again. I love when I'm right." The hoarse voice was new, but Boot's face was covered with his standard black hood to obscure his features. It was soaked by the rain, but still adequately doing it's job as he repositioned the gun to Ellen's head. Her fingers were still scrabbling against his arm but she wasn't getting anywhere as she gurgled and began to sag.

"Stop!" Danny tried again to get to his feet as Ellen's eyes began to close and her knees buckled. "Let her go. You're killing her!" With a look of disgust, Madison switched his hold to Ellen's hair leaving her to cough and choke in lungfuls of air.

"Nice little setup you have here." He drawled dangerously while gauging his very agitated captive's health as he twisted a fistful of Ellen's hair painfully. Her hands flew back to her head as a new pain overwhelmed her entirely.

Danny's hands were shaking as he once again faced the criminal. Ellen's whimper of pain caused a new anger to flare though. "Let her go. You only need me."

"I think not." The accompanying shrug reeked of an over-confident and pleased smugness. Boots was still in full control as he kept the gun trained on Ellen's head.

"Scream or call out to draw attention in any way and you both die." Keeping his hand nested in her hair, he pushed Ellen to her knees while gesturing to the two IV's which seemed to be Danny's only tether.

"Take both of those out and help him up. We're leaving."

"He can't walk. He's badly injured .. he .." Ellen tried to interrupt the man but the yank on her hair brought even more pained tears to her eyes.

"Take them out, or I'll do it myself and it won't be pretty." Twisting her hair even harder, she cried out as her hands went back to her head automatically. She thought he'd tear wads out of her scalp in seconds as a pained tear rolled down her cheek.

"Back off." Danny growled in anger as he managed to get into a slouched seated position. He was panting from the effort though and wholly unable to help. "She's not any part of this."

"You know me better than that Danny-boy." When a bullet entered the chamber of the gun, her fingers flew to remove the intravenous lines from each of Danny's arms. Her face contorted in pain again as Frank tightened his hold in her hair to encourage her haste.

"You'll help him. Or, you both die. He falls .. or you try to run .. and you both die. Get the picture?"

"I'll manage." Danny flatly stated as he glared at the hooded man. He covertly glanced to his left and to the gun which lay so temptingly close on her cot.

"I need supplies. Flashlights." Ellen was wiping tears away from her eyes as she followed Danny's quick look. Her head was on fire and she knew that a deep red mark would ring her throat, too based on the soreness already setting in. Through a tight cough, she boldly pointed to her knapsack.

"Medical supplies .. in that bag. I need to pack a few more things."

"Okay." Frank hesitated before totally releasing her hair. He still kept the gun trained directly into the back of her head. His own injury pulled uncomfortably on his ribs and he might need doctoring too at some point.

"Give me the damned flashlight though." Carefully, Ellen handed Frank the light which he shoved into the front of his pants.

"Get what you need together. I want him alive .. you're a nurse .. at least for now I can live with that .. show me the bag."

Blocking his view of her gun, Ellen knelt and emptied the bag in front of Frank. She grabbed a large handful of two-inch by two inch sized gauze bandages and brandished them in his face.

"Bandages, fluids, pain medication, antibiotics .. basic medical gear." Just behind her back, she pointed to the water bottles which were still achingly close to her sleeping bag .. and the gun. Her body was low enough to block the cot and the tent was still dimly illuminated. She prayed that Madison wouldn't see the weapon lying behind her.

"We need to bring drinking water too. When the weather clears, the humidity will be very bad."

Frank accepted the suggestion and Ellen hastily grabbed her jacket and then shoved the large wad of gauze into her outer pocket as she turned to gather an armful of water bottles. The fast move allowed her to scoop the gun closer to a spare blanket. She stared at him as she made a show of packing each bottle into the backpack.

"I'd like at least one blanket. Please." When he didn't argue, her weapon was gathered into the blanket and shoved on top before she zipped her supplies closed. Her throat tightened again as she waited to be caught; but nothing happened. He hadn't seen it and didn't seem to suspect anything but she was breathing raggedly at the sheer boldness of her move.

"He honestly .. he can't walk." It was then she realized Danny only wore socks on his feet and she paused to try one final time for a reprieve which she knew wouldn't be granted. His injured right foot would never hold his weight for any prolonged period of time. Leaning forward, she took one of her husband's spare hooded windbreakers and readied it for Danny, but still argued.

Danny saw the irritation escalating in Boot's posture and paled at the subtle very dangerous change. "Ellen. That's enough."

"He has no shoes or boots! You can't expect him to manage .. not in his condition!" She wrongly ignored Danny's warning. Frank's patience was now sorely worn thin and he only waggled his gun threateningly at them both.

"Too bad. It's better than nothing .. now get him up and get him moving." His mood was foul and Danny recognized the pending storm; Madison's next words proved how quickly the tides could turn.

"Or, you may be too much trouble already." The gun was purposefully pressed into Ellen's temple making her gasp and shake from the shock of what he might now do. She realized what Danny already knew as he stared blindly at the man's covered face.

"Ellen." Danny switched to her tear-filled eyes as he took her hand and squeezed it hard enough for the bones to rub. He was cold and trembling, but working to defuse the situation as best as he could. "Help me up."

She was frozen in place though as the gun remained right up against her scalp. The long moment of silence that followed was stifling as Madison didn't move or speak. When the weapon did finally move back a fraction and he barked out a short laugh, Ellen sucked in a huge frightened breath of air.

"Get him up." She shut her mouth and didn't wait then as she fairly jumped to follow his order.

Danny couldn't hide his pained groan as Ellen heaved him upwards. The resurgence of pain in his head and weakened rib was immediate and he realized how much better the concept of laying down suddenly was. Needing help, he kept an eye on Boots as Ellen helped to feed his arms through the large windbreaker. Her fingers were shaking as she zipped it up with a worried murmur of apology for Danny's sake.

"I'll manage." He repeated for a second time as he watched Madison's hooded shape. The criminal would do just about anything with no regard and Danny vowed to stay on his feet in order to avoid risking more of Ellen's tenuous safety. But he was already leaning heavily on her when Madison pushed them outside. In seconds, Danny found himself stumbling from the refuge of the tent and directly into mind-numbing cold rain and harsh wind. Water and mud soaked through the socks and he nearly fell as a strong wind-gust rattled and bent the trees.

"This is insanity." Danny panted and wiped water from his face when he realized the true fury of the storm. His vision dimmed dangerously as his weakened body objected to being upright and he felt Ellen take more of his weight. As she had warned, he wouldn't be able to make it very far.

"You're insane." His gasped words were cut short when he heard Ellen's pained wheeze as Frank fisted her hair again and shoved her forward roughly.

"Shut up and move. Or she dies .. you both die. Here and now." Blinking back the pain and sinking deeply into the cold mud, Danny had no choice but to allow that ferocious motion to propel him forward towards the depths of the jungle.

Moments later, they were lost in its dark recesses.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**SATURDAY, JUNE 22ND - AMERICAN SAMOA (EARLY MORNING HOURS)**

The three had been forced to stop early on due to the violence of the storm and Danny's now aggravated injuries. Without proper footwear, he was soon stumbling even more as heavy undergrowth tore at his soles despite the sinking mud. Twigs, rocks and hidden roots soon bruised and battered his feet with his right foot nearly impossible to use to support any of his weight. Barely forty-five minutes in, Frank had grudgingly pushed them into a partially standing two-room house of sorts. Half thatched hut and half shed, it was near the foot of the main trail up into the heavier jungle.

Staring into the storm, Madison paced angrily before motioning that they'd stay awhile. Ellen sighed in total relief as she eased Danny down and propped him against a wall as he wheezed around pain and tried to catch his breath. Ellen removed the windbreaker and took out the spare blanket to drape it over Danny's quaking body. Minutes later he'd fallen into a feverish doze on the nurse's lap not realizing that his upper body hid the gun tucked into her own jacket pocket.

"He's not going any further." Ellen stared back down Frank's warning and hard eyes. The man had long ago abandoned his black hood after successfully making it into and the out of the encampment. He was tanned and dark with the hardest, coldest expression she had ever seen. Ellen dug in though and tried to vainly ask for reason as she confirmed Danny's much too rapid pulse.

"He can't do it. You're going to wind up killing him." Like them both, Danny's clothes were soaked but she could almost feel the heat rising degree by degree. The physical activity and exposure to the elements had weakened him almost immediately.

"He really can't." She whispered under her breath. She knew that she was taking a terrible chance antagonizing the man again. However, without her now, he'd not move Danny at all. Madison at least needed her to be Danny's human crutch.

The criminal's new silence suddenly frightened her more than anything he had done as she rubbed Danny's shoulder. He only needed Danny alive for a short while longer; long enough to prove that he'd done his job for his employer. After that, they'd both be disposed of .. Ellen realized that only the 'when' mattered to Frank because it also defined his pay-out. Mustering her flagging bravery, she eyed him again and offered her challenge which he replied to since it fed his ego.

"This obviously isn't going to go on forever. How long does he have?" Frank smiled at her clever mind and leaned forward with his hands eagerly spread out on his knees as fingers drummed out a happy mindless tune.

"Tuesday. Maybe Wednesday afternoon." He leered at her and pointed to her medical bag. "He's your job until then. His life is in your hands for the next few days, lady. Both of your lives are now joined at the hip and I suggest you make these days count."

The tears came unbidden and quite against her attempts at remaining stoic. Based on Madison's expression, only she knew that they weren't for herself. Saturday morning was about to dawn and she could sense the storm dwindling. Far on the horizon, the sun would soon be rising up to fight the dark clouds. Even Tuesday was a frightening prospect though as Ellen smoothed back the wet hair from Danny's wan face. In the current predicament, she didn't think she could keep him alive that long.

Angrily, Ellen pulled her medical pack closer and ignored the gun that appeared suddenly under her very nose. "What do you think you're doing?"

"If you want me to make this count, then you will leave me the hell alone!" Her raised voice caused Danny to moan and she steadied her free hand on his shoulder.

"He needs morphine and fluids. The bandage on his head wound is ruined and I can't do a thing for his feet." Making sure that her gun stayed hidden, she gently extricated herself from Danny's upper body to lay him flat.

She completely turned on Madison when she saw Danny's swollen fingers as a result of his broken wrist. They were worse too and she worried that he'd accidentally banged or jostled the bones during their forced march. "Damn you. I will take care of him the only way I know how, or why else did you bring me along?"

Ellen was on her knees barely four feet from the visibly irate man but she was hesitant to go for her own weapon. They were each shaking with an emotional tension and anything could easily go wrong because she simply wouldn't be fast enough. When he heaved in a warning breath and sat back, his gun was less than a foot from her head but she took the general action to be one of permission. She went back to her business of removing antiseptic wipes, bandages and morphine from her bag. After studiously cleaning Danny's right arm, she injected a healthy dose of the pain medication into his blood stream and then toyed with the concept of an IV or subcutaneous fluids. But there was no way either would work in the current unsanitary conditions. She removed the soiled bandages from his head and redressed the wound before trying at least something with his right foot by wrapping what seemed like yards of gauze around the outside of the sock itself.

Bending down, she opened a bottle of water and elevated Danny's head. With much cajoling and a careful hand, Ellen managed to make him swallow at least half the bottle before allowing him to rest. He was only half aware of what was happening around him at that point. With disgust in her eyes, she saw that Frank had also helped himself to not one, but two full bottles of water while she remained focused on Danny.

"Help yourself." She muttered with a hateful look.

"I do believe I just did." Came the equally sarcastic reply. They both paused in their tirade though as a tiny sliver of sunlight dared to split the distant horizon. Ellen's heart pounded when Frank smiled happily.

"Start waking him. Get him ready .. we're leaving soon." He laughed heartily as he offered a dire reminder. "Just remember, the same rules apply. He falls .. or you try to run .. and you both die."

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**SATURDAY, JUNE 22ND - AMERICAN SAMOA (DAWN)**

"Hey Doc! We came in on the first transport!" Ponch looked up from the maps he had spread out on the gurney. He was dressed and armed to the teeth and his face was hardened with a fury Steve had never witnessed before. Gone was the dedicated white-coated doctor and in his place was the former Army officer who was more than ready to take no prisoners.

However, there was a definite moment of relief that crossed his face as the team entered the medical tent. Then the dire expression returned and the fact that four military police flanked him, brought Steve, Chin and Kono completely up short. Five backpacks and two portable stretchers were lined up against the tent wall, ready for use.

"Doc?" Steve's mood plummeted as he instantly realized something was terribly wrong. He barely heard Kono's mumbled ' _oh no'_  and Chin's sharp intake of breath. The feeling around Ramirez was dark and brooding. Something had happened. Steve's mind stuttered as he looked around at the other doctors and nurses who had already prepared the worst of their injured patients for immediate transport back to Oahu; and yet Ramirez was geared up as if for war.

"What's happened? Where's Danny?" There was even something more in the doctor's expression and someone important was also clearly missing. Steve found himself shaking his head in denial as he added a name. "Not ... Ellen .. she's not involved too?"

The sun was finally peeking through and the plane had just landed after a long and very rough flight due to left-over heavy winds as they chased the tail of the storm. Then they had just landed by the very skin of their teeth on the only open, rain-slicked runway. They had arrived with high hopes and spirits only to find out that something was most definitely off kilter.

"Both of them are gone." Tension was rolling off the big doctor wave after wave as he invited them over to share the dismal news. "He took them. He took them both and we're going to get them back."

"How long ago?" Kono asked as she quickly looked over the maps and dumped her small backpack on the ground. "Doc, who exactly is  _he_? Who is this guy?"

Pointing to where Pete still lay flanked by two stalwart M.P.'s, Ponch growled out a few words. "His  _friend_  .. said his name was Frank Madison. I knew .. I  _knew_  .. they were involved from the first moment they got here!"

"Where would Madison take them?" Pete Channing gasped because he never saw Steve coming. He lurched sideways and then grabbed his knee as pain spiked in both directions up and down his injured leg.

"What? I have no idea. I swear that I don't!" He blurted out. "I didn't even know Williams was here!"

The fear in Channing's eyes and Ramirez's reluctant agreement to the latter half of the statement briefly changed Steve's tactic. But only briefly. Not quite accidentally kicking into the legs of the flimsy cot, Channing cried out again when Steve connected hard with the frame.

"Where would he take them?"

The young man was nearly crying in pain as he held both hands on his thigh. He was babbling over and over as he swore he didn't know Madison's plans. Growling in anger, Steve only stopped the harassment when Doctor Laroux dared to put a hand on his arm. No words were shared, but it was enough to move Steve just a few steps back as Channing not so quietly howled.

"Stay with him." Steve was nearly gritting his teeth as he demanded that Kono remain behind. "Keep him secure and under wraps at all times. I don't care how you do it, but see what you can find out about these guys."

"There's a third." Ramirez suddenly offered. "Not sure if he's still alive .. but just in case, keep an eye out for someone who doesn't quite fit. Danny described him as a muscular, stocky man; about five-eight or so. Big hands, like a boxer would have. Pete here doesn't seem to have a name available for us. In fact, Pete doesn't seem to know much at all."

"Really?" Channing found he was the unhappy subject once again as all eyes turned to him. He had already answered Ramirez's questions and thought the interrogation over. The new officers were obviously less likely to be so convinced. His eyes widened in fear as he began to shake his head no before the obvious question was being asked.

"Give me a name." Steve was back in his face and the injured criminal threw a plaintive look towards Doctor Laroux. Unfortunately, the man was gazing at an interesting dust mote on the floor.

"I want a name. I want it now." Channing swallowed hard and then wiped tears from his face. The officers weren't going to like his answer and the big doctor would no doubt have an issue after he swore he knew nothing about the third partner, too. No, no one was going to like this one bit. He raised his hand as a plea when Steve warningly toed the cot's frame again.

"I don't know." He gasped and then closed his eyes as this newest officer cocked his knee back and aimed directly for the cot's leg.

"Name!" Channing yelped when Steve bellowed at him and the cot moved even more across the ground. It sent spikes of pain into his knee again.

"Okay, stop! Mac. His name is Mac." He winced reflexively as Steve cocked his foot more to ready for a vicious kick and then glared down at him. He almost mewled in fear when he felt the beginnings of a tremor through the metal frame. The man didn't believe him and he wasn't quite convinced; but he was sure his knee would fall off if the man let loose with the way he was poised.

"No! Please, I swear that's all I know .. he came to the game late. He only said his name was Mac." Channing was babbling again and near hysterics as Steve continued to threaten him.

"Game?" Hands balled into fists, Ramirez snarled the one word and this time Laroux did look up. "Do you think this is a game?" His colleague was about to explode and between the big doctor and the new arrivals, it was beginning to get dangerously ugly in the medical tent.

For a second time, Laroux intervened in the mix and asked for a bit of self-control. "Doctor, here is not exactly the right place to make such a point."

The French doctor now had at least two angry men glaring silently at him but he held his ground. Channing was about to have a breakdown. The display was more becoming more public and his pensive expression asked they exercise a bit more caution. It worked when Steve held his hand up in silent agreement.

"Kono." Steve knew that this would be all Channing had to offer, so he singled her out. He was seething with rage and his chest clenched tightly at this Mac's bully-like description. He had seen the photograph and the doctor had then seen so much more in person. When Steve caught Ponch's eye, the worried nod concurred that the missing man was responsible in large part for Danny's condition.

"You got it. I can find a third .. easy." She understood what Steve wanted immediately as she looked directly into Pete's face. She was up to the challenge and already considering a certain plan to possibly flush out the third suspect or at least, get a full name or any other kind of identification that she could wrangle.

"I"m sure Peter has a lot more to share. He just doesn't realize it yet. Plus, if this Mac is here or dares to show up, I'll get him." As she had wanted, the younger man clearly heard the threat and he looked away to study his very painful, elevated knee.

All but Kono and Laroux now moved away to finalize their next steps. They needed to get going quickly with whatever they could cobble together.

"This is my fault." Ramirez lowered his voice as he slapped the map-covered gurney in frustration. "I moved Danny directly to our tent to keep him safe .. and he found him anyway .. this Frank. If I had kept him here, where more people were, it might not have happened."

"No." Steve groaned and rubbed his face as he looked at the number of displaced and injured. "No, you can't think that. This guy Madison might have shot the place up or done any other number of things. You did the right thing."

They needed to get moving as Ramirez closed his eyes and shook his head wearily. He'd gotten maps and secured a few military police after a search of the encampment came up empty. Now minutes were passing like hours and they needed to broaden the area.

"We looked everywhere in camp. They aren't here and I don't know which way they went."

"When exactly did he take Danny and Ellen?" Steve tried again as tried to quiet the doctor's near frantic rambling. His hands were clenched as stress once again radiated through his very being and he opened his own backpack to gear up. A meaningful glance towards Chin had the man following his example.

"How long ago and in what direction? You must have an idea?"

"He took them .. and we're not sure how long ago .. or of the direction. Maybe four hours." Ramirez was vacillating between worry and anger as he slapped the gurney again and papers began to slide to the floor.

"I was called to surgery in the middle of the night for an emergency. When I got back to our tent .. and like I say, maybe four or even five hours later .. they were already gone. It could be longer; I really don't know." Ponch ground his teeth in a helpless fury. "In Danny's condition .. even with Ellen helping .. there's no way that they can get too far. I just don't know which way to go."

"Show me." Grabbing the doctor by the arm, Steve fairly shoved him from the medical tent. Chin followed with the four military police in his wake.

"Show me and then we all go."

What he found in the Ramirez's tent stunned Steve. Danny's badge lay where it had fallen face down next to a hospital stretcher. Bending down, Steve scooped it up into his palm and then zipped it inside a pocket of his tac-vest. Any anger that he'd momentarily pushed aside came back in full as he took in the discarded IV ports, lines and abandoned bags of fluids and what would likely be antibiotics. His body stiffened when he saw the oxygen mask and tank near the stretcher. The husband and wife team had truly created a private haven in an attempt to keep Danny safe. For all of their good-hearted efforts though, both he and Ellen had been taken.

"Can we leave now?" Next to him, Ponch was bouncing in agitation as he forced himself to wait for Steve's reaction and next decision. "Well? Steve? What are we going to do?"

Storming past the doctor, Steve strode around the tent and surveyed the area and best access to the jungle. It was there and directly behind the rear of the tent, where he found the small white packet sticking up out of the mud. It was distinctly out-of-place and he leaned down to pick it up. Further down the narrow trail and between dense underbrush lay a second white packet partially concealed under the branches of a low-lying fern. Beyond that, he was sure that he spied yet a third and he felt a glimmer of hope as he called to the doctor.

"Ponch. Check this out."

He turned and handed the first two to the doctor. "Two by two gauze pads. Ellen?"

"Yes. Yes it is." The doctor smiled with pride and he quickly bypassed Steve to duck under the trees and seconds later was shouting back to them at his success. "There's another ... I see more!"

"Breadcrumbs." Chin announced to Steve with a gleam in his eyes. "Smart woman."

"No kidding." He had to grin at Ellen's quick thinking. It then took Steve and the group less than one minute to break into a jog because Ponch hadn't returned in his excitement of having seen the clues dropped sporadically in the mud. Tracking through rain-drenched soil that was now becoming quickly hard-packed as the steamy sun rose would have been nearly impossible. But now, Ellen pulled them quickly forward and the men took off at a fast pace to cover ground.

Thirty minutes in, the small packets stopped and Ponch groaned in frustration. "She must have run out of them."

"It's okay. We're close. They left in the storm and if Danny is as injured as you say .. we're close. We have to be." Steve said as he decided which way to move next. They were standing at the foot of a steeper incline that went deeper up into the jungle and run-off had created two path-like routes.

"Hey, Steve! Over here, you need to see this." Chin and one of the M.P.'s had poked their heads into a virtually destroyed shed. A balled up pile of stained and soiled bandages lay in a damp corner and Chin handed them to Steve.

"They were here." Ponch grabbed the wad and then fisted them angrily before tossing them to the ground. His temper was raging again as he viciously kicked an empty water bottle outside into a muddy puddle. "Let's go. We're wasting time."

He hesitated though when he spied a small plastic tube on the ground. The doctor was clearly upset when he picked it up.

"What is it?" Chin asked as Steve also made a face. "What's wrong?"

"Ammonia inhalants. Smelling salts." Steve watched Ramirez pocket the used ampoule before explaining the rest of the issue to Chin. "Ellen is probably using them to keep Danny on his feet."

As with each of them, Ramirez had seen enough and he walked outside to look up the slope. "We need to go."

"Agreed. We'll split up here to cover more ground." Steve was just as anxious as he looked up into what would soon become even more dense jungle. He, the doctor and two M.P's would trek one way, while Chin and the other two military police officers would go another.

"There's something else." Ponch wearily rubbed his eyes and then looked from Chin to Steve with a very worried expression. "Danny's a bit confused about who to trust. He may not recognize you .. so take your time .. go slow with him."

For a moment there was complete silence. "What do you mean?" Steve asked quietly. "Fever? Amnesia? What?"

Ponch shook his head because he still wasn't certain. "Treat it like amnesia for now. I'm not sure if it's chemical or physical from what was done to him over the last week. He knows about Darien and the connection to the trial. But other things .. are simply not there. At least not yet."

He stood utterly still as he absorbed the words. Steve didn't know what to think as Ponch shared the startling update. The photograph again came to mind along with the heavy dark bruises that had covered Danny's face. Then there was the head wound and the tell-tale signs of drug use. His anger grew along with the doctor's as he readied his weapon. He sensed Chin's level of fury rising as he too became more grim and focused.

"Understood." Steve whispered quietly. "Let's get moving."

Motioning for Chin to take the higher tangent, Steve's parting comments were for each and everyone of them.

"Be mindful of our own people. Go slow and take no risks. But I do not necessarily need this other individual alive."

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	10. Chapter 10

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

******SATURDAY, JUNE 22ND - AMERICAN SAMOA (EARLY MORNING)** ** **

**Chapter Ten**

The large medical encampment was not the only one setup on the Samoan islands. A few expert disaster recovery facilities dotted the landscape to help the various injured and displaced citizens. A smaller but equally efficient operation was setup on the other side of the airport and this is where Sneakers Two found himself being treated. Upon being separated from his two friends, he'd wandered in an entirely different direction and miles from the others.

"I'm an America citizen." He was blessed to have retained a tight hold on his passport after the experience with the terrifying mudslide. Though it was a bit dirty and still wet, he shoved it under the volunteer's nose as he registered.

"Brian McNamara, from California. I'm an attorney on vacation."

With his relatively minor injuries cared for, clean borrowed clothing, and food in his belly, McNamara was scheduled to leave American Samoa for Honolulu sometime the next day when a handful of normal flights resumed and he couldn't be happier. He'd arrived with his colleagues and 'cargo' on a private jet in the dark of night almost eight days earlier. It had been the wee hours of Sunday, June 16th really and they'd barely received clearance to land with the cyclone so imminent.

McNamara remembered that date well because it was Father's Day and it would be first one he ever missed visiting his own father at the retirement home. He had sent him a rather elaborate gift instead and promised he would make up for it after a most important case he was working on. He knew his father would understand; the man always did. But when it came to his father, it was the one person that could inspire a feeling of guilt in him. Unable to avoid this particular trip, they had arrived and then that same jet had departed just as quickly in order to protect itself from the coming storm. It had not been able to return due to the persistence of tropical storms, and they'd technically all had become somewhat stranded. He had been in a mood for the first few days of the trip and Williams had suffered for it.

Gazing out at the still turbulent ocean, McNamara supposed the islands were a vacationers' paradise other times of the year, however he couldn't wait to leave now. In fact, he needed to leave to make his commitments on time. McNamara was now quite willing to take a regular flight back if it meant getting off the storm ravaged mud hole that he'd been forced to endure.

Even though he had no idea where his colleagues or Williams were or even cared if they still lived, he was due to appear on Monday as part of the prosecution team representing the State against his real employer, Allen "Darry" Darien. He would be on time, assist in the opening argument, and he would be prepared to present the framework of the case as it related to the money laundering charges.

Money laundering was something he personally knew quite well. His "case" against Darien had certain well orchestrated, seemingly accidental "holes". Behind the scenes, McNamara had omitted details, conveniently left out particular facts, and tampered with a significant amount of evidence. He and worked diligently to coordinate many of the numerous letters and notes against some of the now very frightened jurors. He had taken inordinate pleasure in those notes delivered to the key witness and even more delight in the abduction.

Even though Brian McNamara was not a principal in the law firm, he was a very busy man.

Beyond the case, the physicality of the kidnapping and limited rules also appealed to his violent tendencies. He hadn't especially been required to treat Williams kindly and was almost given carte blanche to pummel the captive at will. It was a breath of fresh air to work outside the norms of his typically straight-laced role as a professional lawyer.

McNamara rubbed his knuckles as he thought of the animalistic joy he felt during William's last one-on-one session. As a white-collar lawyer, his pugilistic background interested most of his peers. Prior to becoming an esquire, he had his sights set on a professional boxing career but ' _Mac_ ' McNamara wasn't quite good enough to break through the upper ranks. Not only was he not quite good enough, his ethics were sorely lacking and he'd built a rather notorious reputation for dirty dealings.

Now, his hobby only amused many of these same co-workers who enjoyed his stories of " _what might have been_ " when he was a younger man. He still trained daily and sparred three or four times a week after long days in the office. He had kept much of his strong, stocky physique and under expensive tailored suits, it often impressed those in the courtroom. He knew it, used it to his advantage, and he liked the aura he projected.

Old habits died hard; for McNamara, they didn't seem to die at all.

Come Sunday, he would resume his role as one of the lawyers for the prosecution team and ready himself for Monday's opening statements. By Wednesday at the latest, Williams wouldn't matter anymore regardless of what the Commander might do on the stand. By Thursday, another hefty deposit would be made to his "father's" off-shore account on the Caymans.

Enough would have been done by that point, and he would have helped in coordinating the mastermind behind the pending mistrial. And then after that edict, he was already dreaming of a week-long vacation in sunny Monte Carlo.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

****SATURDAY, JUNE 22ND - AMERICAN SAMOA (EARLY MORNING)** **

Their opportunity to escape Frank Madison's clutches came unexpectedly when the man suddenly lost his balance on a steep rise. He'd fallen hard on his injured side ripping open the sutures that Doctor Ramirez had so deftly stitched. Ellen and Danny didn't wait to see the expanse of redness which dotted his shirt as he tumbled half way down the hill before he had time to try and shout for help; not that either captive would have actually assisted the man.

They simply reacted to save themselves, and then tried to run in a stumbling, half-hop sort of way.

"Go!" Danny cursed as his body rebelled and Ellen pulled and tugged him along to distance themselves as quickly as possible. His feet were ruined and he was beyond exhausted while starved muscles seized from over-use. The nurse was bullying him along and taking a great deal of his weight as she also began to falter.

They'd managed to get a decent way before Ellen stumbled and then slipped over rocky uneven terrain. There was a loud snap, a muffled cry and she grabbed her ankle as it bent in a gruesome angle. Seconds later, they were dragging each other under as much dense growth as they could find before finally collapsing.

Fifteen anxious minutes after that, they were still in their small hiding place and Danny groaned when Ellen shook him hard from a pained stupor. Her boot was now off and she was trying not to cry out from the rippling pain that encased her entire ankle. She was intent on trying to move her toes and had her fingers clasped around her instep and sole.

"No, you can't. You have to help me now. Please .. try." He watched her as she fished out two water bottles, bandages and then found two large straight sticks to use as a splint. He looked at the injury and was shocked to see her ankle already swollen over twice its size.

"Ellen. It's .. bad." If she could have, she would have rolled her eyes at the obvious. Her face was pale and her lips tight with pain, but she kept moving.

"Thank you for that, Danny. The good news is I can wiggle my toes. Now you ... drink." Her first demand was for each of them to have water. He gladly accepted the bottle and took a long but shaky swallow which brought tears to his eyes when he gagged and then coughed. Slouching down, his eyes closed unexpectedly as his head bobbled on his neck and Ellen poked his arm.

"Stay awake. Here. Hold this .. tight, but not too tight." He eased forward on his side and used his right hand where she directed him. Before allowing him to move away, she pulled two syringes and a vial from the same pack. Panting heavily, Ellen drew the liquid into the syringe and then plunged its contents into her thigh. She readied the second syringe and grabbed his right wrist.

"Come here. Morphine." He watched blandly as she injected him too before finally sinking down into the still wet bed of ferns. She tossed her arm over her eyes and heaved in slow shuttered breaths. After a minute, Danny dropped his head to his fist and wearily closed his own eyes. In the back of his mind, he knew that they might not have very long, but he needed at least five minutes. He was lost in that thought as darkness seeped in to the corners of his mind.

He could feel her a few minutes later but couldn't bring himself to respond to her growing and very bossy urgings. "Five minutes." He murmured quietly. "Just .. five."

"Please .. Danny .. wake up." When she roughly tore a pinching circle into his bicep, he groaned in resentment but still refused to move. "Danny, open your damned eyes and look at me!"

A sharp pungent odor made him rear back. His nasal passages felt as if they were suddenly on fire and he jolted under Ellen's hands.

"Danny. Wake up." His posture was automatically defensive as the sounds of jungle birds entered his awareness and he fought to remember where he was .. and why. Ellen was an inch from his nose as she shook his arm. She was holding an ammonia inhalant pod and he stopped her hand when she went to use it again for a third time.

"I'm good. I'm good." She had resorted to using the inhalants to get him on his feet. The tactic wasn't very nice, but it was unfortunately the only thing that was beginning to rouse him from his deep, pained exhaustion. It had taken longer this time though, and Ellen was more than a little upset with him. When his eyes finally focused, he realized too that she was holding a gun.

"Gun. Forgot." He breathed out with an appreciative sigh. She tapped her ear, lifted a finger to her lips and he stilled once more. Then he heard the heavy breathing and pained moans coming closer to where they lay hidden. The sounds stopped for a moment and then they heard branches breaking as the person continued on up the trail.

There was no doubt that Frank was after them. His fall and any injury would only make him meaner and Danny rubbed the sweat off his forehead. He needed to create a diversion before he kept his morbid promise to kill Ellen. Her face was twisted in pain despite the morphine and she'd never be able to walk far. The two of them were now quite the pair.

"Ellen." Danny fisted the ground with his right hand and pushed weakly upwards and then reached for the gun. "He needs me alive."

"What! No .. no way, you can barely move! Ponch will know by now .. we need to stay together and wait!" Ellen hissed as she objected to the plan but he only shook off her hand, pocketed Ponch's handgun and forced his body to obey. One knee became an unsteady crouch to a partial hunched position and breathing raggedly through his mouth, he eased himself from the small copse.

"Too risky... not to." He muttered.

"Damn it, Danny. Get back here!" As he left, he allowed himself a grin at her expense because her furiously hissed tone was so very familiar.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Ellen couldn't believe that Danny had just done it. He had left her barely under his own steam and it wasn't necessarily to draw Madison away. "I'm going to kill him." She half sobbed as he disappeared from view with the gun firmly gripped in his right hand.

Left alone and unable to walk on her broken ankle, Ellen sternly fought back tears as she forced herself to open another bottle of water from her pack. She knew that her husband had to be nearby .. surely after all these hours, even if he had taken longer in surgery than at first expected, he would be searching for them by now. Her ankle had at least two broken bones and it had swollen nearly twice its size since she had taken her bad mis-step. The minutes ticked by in agony and all she could do was sit and wait.

Ellen narrowed her eyes as she caught a small movement far off to her right. She was laying on her side and low to the muddy ground when she saw it again, followed by another darker flash through the foliage. Morning had brought a much stronger sun and nearly all the storm clouds had dispersed. When she saw it a third time, she knew she was seeing people.

"At least three." She muttered to herself, almost too hopeful to think it might be Ponch with help. Searching where she lay, she found a rock and rolled her eyes at the dismal idea of a weapon. But then she didn't need to worry when she heard the low whispered urgent tone. She would know that voice anywhere and then she did cry.

"Alphonse!" She was half dragging herself out from under her hiding place when he suddenly burst in next to her. He didn't say a word as he pulled her into a tight, relieved hug and then began checking her earnestly for injuries.

"It's just my ankle." She gave them both that minute and then was pushing him away. "I'm fine. It's Danny."

He was staring at her neck though and she could see his rage beginning to perk under a very shallow surface. "I'm fine." Ellen tried to calm him, but he was beginning to implode for the livid bruise from where Madison had choked her in the tent. Self-consciously, she tried to cover it with her disheveled hair, but he was angrily pushing it back and gently touching the dark colors.

"Alphonse! Please. Danny. You need to go after him!" Ellen looked up and gasped as Steve and then an M.P. made room to hunker down in the small treed copse. In total disbelief, she blinked her eyes rapidly as she looked at each man.

"Steve! You're here. Why are you here .. how did you get here so fast?" Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she grabbed for his hand. "Danny. He left about fifteen or twenty minutes ago. He thinks he's going to take down Madison by himself."

"He what?" Steve ground out as he stared in shock at the downed nurse. She was covered in mud, exhausted and urgently now pointing in the direction his partner had gone.

"He has Alphonse's gun. But only the one clip." She was crying openly now as her husband insisted she lay back so that he could examine her throat better and then her ankle. "He needs help."

"Go. Get out of here. Madison is a lunatic ... go help Danny." Ponch demanded as he knelt next to Ellen and began unpacking his knapsack. He was barely in control, but exceedingly gentle as he cut away her makeshift splint. One M.P. stayed with the doctor and readied the portable stretcher.

The second M.P. was instructed to take a parallel line to where Ellen pointed and then after that, it was all Steve needed to leave them behind.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	11. Chapter 11

 

**SATURDAY, JUNE 22ND - AMERICAN SAMOA (EARLY MORNING)**

**Chapter Eleven**

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

His movements were erratic, insecure and far from smooth as he staggered along. His head throbbed in time to the pain of each swollen step. A few hours in a warm tent with an IV of fluids and cat-naps was not near enough rest for his torn and weary body. Plus any good derived from that respite had been ruined over the last few hours by the forced march through the storm battered jungle. He was behind Boots though and hoping to simply surprise the man. Shooting to incapacitate - or even kill - would be fine as long as he could get a clean shot off and not miss entirely. He also didn't need a wounded bear. The man was crazy enough as it was.

Growing weaker by the moment, he only had minutes to remain on his feet as he hugged his left wrist to his chest. He had needed to shove the gun into the front of his pants while using his right hand for balance and leverage. In the overwhelming post storm humidity, it didn't take long for his nausea to return and his vision to waver as if he were swimming in soup.

Rounding a blind turn on the trail, he came to a startled halt with his hand gripping the wet bark of a tree trunk.

A man had suddenly appeared in his path and was evidently equally as shocked to see him. He bobbled and then fought to clear his vision only to realize it wasn't Madison, but some other person entirely. His eyes were flickering down to the man's feet the same second he was releasing the tree so he could tug the gun from his pants. Seconds later he had it aimed directly at the man's head.

"Danny!" The man was dark-haired, tall and extremely well-armed and for those things, Danny missed the utter look of relief which creased the man's expression. The first thought that came unbidden through his head was " _over kill"_.

"Whoa! Hey!" The tall stranger instantly took two steps back. "Let's just take it easy and put the gun down."

" _Boots_." The similarity there was too close and Danny's resolve strengthened with that guttural whisper. His hand trembled and he fought to stay upright after releasing the tree he had used as a brace. He wound up losing his balance to drop down to one knee and then refused to lower his weapon as this new enemy raised his hands in a sign of surrender.

"Do you have a problem suddenly with waiting for back-up?"

"What?" The question was entirely unexpected and it threw Danny completely.

"You heard me." The man's tone was decidedly upset but possibly evened out with a dose of humor. "Back-up. Your personal number one rule."

No, it wasn't humor exactly; it was more like sarcasm and Danny's mouth slammed shut. The man paused and then began to chuckle. "So, Danno. What the hell happened with waiting for back-up? You'd have my head if I just did what you tried. I would never, _ever_ hear the end of it."

"Back-up? I'm the back-up." Danny suddenly whispered to himself without knowing why. He stared blankly at the man and then nearly relaxed into the warm smile before catching himself.

"No." Shaking his head, Danny narrowed his eyes at the weapon in the man's upraised right hand. His fatigued brain back-fired and used excuses to convince him it was a trick. Not necessarily Boots, but certainly a possible colleague of the dangerous man and Danny had no interest in his words.

"Danny, I know you're a bit confused. Ponch told me what happened. But it's me, partner."

Steve struggled hard because he never thought Danny might look at him as a complete and utter stranger. Then it was the suspicion in his eyes that nearly took his breath away and Steve refused to accept it. It defined one of the differences that Ponch had warned him about on the way up the slope. The fact that Danny was scarcely speaking or moving wasn't lost on him either.

 _"He's quiet and reserved; he's barely spoken, Steve. One word here or two words there."_ The doctor had been out of breath as they trudged purposefully along up the hill. _"And very mistrustful. You'll need to go slow and prove yourself a friend until we figure out if it's the drugs or some other trauma."_

With that in mind, Steve tried to get through carefully without overwhelming his friend too much. Danny was barely on his feet but armed, overly cautious and any number of things could go wrong in a heartbeat. At first Steve thought he had him, and then all to suddenly the glimmer of recognition was gone. Beyond the suspicion, Steve saw each bruise, the once more ruined bandages which Ellen had tried to keep clean, the exhaustion, and the tattered socks which no longer served any purpose.

It all tore at him as he ignored the distrust and the gun to force his voice to drop to a soft conversational tone. "I know you know me, Danno."

The odd nickname finally struck a chord in his weary mind and Steve saw another momentary hesitation. To prove his point, he painstakingly re-holstered his weapon and slowly raised his black-gloved fingers again.

"Better?"

Again no reply as Danny watched every move closely with the same guarded suspicion. The gesture was almost funny and for a reason he couldn't quite provide, Danny's lips quirked into an amused smile at the sight of the leather gloves. But then too was gone before it had a chance to fully materialize.

"I'm Steve .. Danno. You know that Ponch and Ellen contacted me yesterday." Silence and suspicion were the only two constants as Steve continued speaking. "When we got here, we found out that you and Ellen were forced away from camp last night. We're going to find this guy, and he's going to pay, but let's get you home first."

"He's lying!" The booming voice off to Steve's right startled them both and Danny almost dropped his gun as he swung swiftly to face that direction. His hand came up automatically to protect himself from the new threat when he saw the second weapon glinting in the sunlight. Partially hidden in the trees, an arm appeared first followed by another tall man. When Danny saw Boots, he began to shake at the strain of watching two men approach and his weapon swung nervously between them.

"Uh uh, McGarrett. Don't try it or he dies. You'll never be fast enough." Not as well-armed, Boots smiled warmly at Danny as he took aim directly at Steve. Fresh blood stained his shirt where he had torn open the original wound, and he was newly scratched and bruised. Still, Boots had found him first and he'd lost any possible element of surprise.

"He's one of Darien's men, Danny. He only wants you for the money." Unable to help himself, Danny's eyes flew to the man's similar boots. Military issue and nearly the same color despite the heavy covering of mud.

"You're both working together .. both." Danny blinked the sweat from his eyes. The near friendly moments with Steve were now long gone and he trembled from a growing shock. "Lies .. both of you."

"Sneakers. Boots. Three." He stammered the words which only made sense to him. The first Boots on the scene growled a worried warning and the hatred aimed at the new arrival was palpable. However, the broken litany brought the true criminal up short and then he chuckled at his prey's obvious confusion. The tableau before him was one of stunning beauty and he could never have dreamed such a delightful standoff.

It was only a matter of time for one particular man to experience a total physical collapse. But if he could eliminate McGarrett before the trial and then still have Williams? The greedy thought purred in Frank's head because his reward would be astronomical. Two with one stone and no partners to split the winnings; it was a divine coincidence.

"Danno." Steve was desperate and now anxious to put an end to the whole affair so he could bring Danny safely home. He wanted his gun too, but two weapons remained trained at his head. Albeit one was more erratic than the other. His fear was that Madison could easily turn in a split second to take down Danny, and Steve simply couldn't take the chance.

"Danno, listen to me." He aimed his voice towards Danny and prayed he'd at least take cover as he intentionally looked at the closest tree to his friend's hand. "You know better, partner."

" _Danno_." The first Boots had whispered it again under his breath; so low, that only Danny seemed to hear the quiet plea housed in the one simple word. It was achingly familiar and he paused to stare once more at the darkly clad man. Their eyes held this time and Danny frowned at the genuinely concerned expression.

"Listen to me. Let me get you the hell out of here."

Angry yes, but not at him. Angry and worried _for_ him. His posture was tense and ready to attack but also .. not him .. he clearly wanted to kill the new arrival. In fact, he would. There was no doubt of that in Danny's mind as he watched an almost familiar metamorphosis occur and suddenly he did know better. There was something familiar as Danny once more took in the black tac-vest, t-shirt and ominous knife sheathed to his leg. The knife and the gloved itchy fingers caught his attention. The subtle movements that only he seemed to see. Their eyes stayed locked and the word ' _ninja_ ' bit teasingly in his brain unable to make it to his tongue. But what he saw tucked on the man's belt - the golden gleam of a shield maybe - brought something more home.

Ellen had said that Ponch had called Steve. It was true. A special, protected memory teased him, but the here and now murmured for him to take caution; to survive and not give in to distractions. Ever so slowly, Danny's gun swung towards Frank Madison. However, the man only laughed.

"Don't do the wrong thing, buddy." The happily snorted warning came from Madison as Danny's hand began to shake.

"You're a dead man, Madison."

"You can try, McGarrett." The response to Steve's statement was dry and sardonic. It was said around a leering smile where Steve stood deathly still and measured the distance as his fingers twitched.

Danny not only saw it all, he heard the tone and measured cadence of the much too quiet promise. It attested to a skill that easily trumped Boots Two's cockiness. No, _Madison_. His real name was _Frank Madison_. Danny suddenly knew the promise would become a reality in seconds if he just could bring himself to trust in it; and since he needed to survive and that teasing memory resurfaced, Danny did. He saw the look and then glanced at the tree but his body was stubbornly stuck. He could never move in time so he did the next best thing.

Madison grinned menacingly as Danny's hand quaked and the gun began to swing back towards Steve's head. The change broadened Madison's smile as he took another step forward.

"There we go. Come on Danny-boy, work with me." Overly confident, the criminal took yet a third step forward as he dropped a bullet into his own chamber. He was out in the open completely now. The evil grin he held for Steve was one of blind ambitious success; it said that he would die and then so would his weakened partner.

Danny stared at Steve as he took aim a bit off-center and there was a flash of a smile; of understanding at the move. Madison was _Madison_ , and he had said the wrong words too. Everything added up to a deciding factor and Steve didn't hesitate when he saw Danny's gun hand suddenly drop. He had his knife in his fingers with one quick motion and his aim was true as he dove for cover into the thick underbrush.

Four loud shots still rang out though and one bullet whizzed by his head but then there was absolute silence. Peeking up, he saw Danny still on one knee and panting in wheezed shallow gulps of air. His eyes were huge but his weapon was aimed at Frank Madison even though the man now lay prone on his stomach and unmoving in death. Steve's knife had found the man's neck and one circle of blood oozed completely dead-center and through to the man's back. One of Danny's shots had hit its mark with surprising accuracy.

"Danno? Are you okay? Are you hit?" Not knowing if Danny had been shot in the exchange, Steve's eyes raked over his head, face and upper body as he started to run to his side.

"Steve?" In return, the uncertain tone still begged if the right decision had been made.

"Yeah, it's me." As his partner smiled in approval, Danny's gun fell from his fingers and his upper body collapsed in on itself into a weary heap.

"Hey, Danny. Easy, no, no no." Steve bolted forward in a rush just missing being able to prevent his tumble to the ground. Anxious hands confirmed that no new blood was evident and he choked back his relief. Stripping off his gloves, he pawed at Danny's neck to prove he was breathing and then found a pounding, staccato rhythm.

"Too fast. Calm down, Danny. It's over." Mindful of the broken rib and splinted wrist, he gently propped Danny up in his arms. He could feel the exhausted tremors wracking his body as he awkwardly yanked a bottled water from his emergency pack. Ellen's frightened warnings ran through Steve's mind as he slowly tried to get Danny to sip from the bottle.

"It's over and you're going home. We're taking you home." He was rambling and was helpless to stop as Danny's body twitched in his arms. "Kono is back at the evac site. She's got the other guy under lock and key, Danno. Chin's on his way to our location with two more M.P.'s so we can carry you out of here."

Steve gently tapped Danny's cheek as another tremor jolted through him. If the photograph had looked bad, his partner was now much worse in living color. "Hey, are you listening to me?"

Danny's pale eyes flickered open weakly. He was there but not for long and Steve was shocked by the grievous changes as he thumbed on the radio and demanded help to his location. Having heard the gunfire first, the M.P. who had taken a circular route was there in seconds and ensuring what Steve already knew - Madison was quite dead. Without being asked, the officer searched Madison's pockets and took the man's knapsack. They weren't prepared to haul the body back down to the encampment, but he wisely made sure that he had everything of possible value.

Steve reached Chin next to demand status on time, and then Doctor Ramirez who was with his wife. He wasn't too surprised to learn that they were still waiting on the trail.

"Ellen?" He grinned as Danny responded to the voices coming from the radio. He clearly recognized the big doctor's gruff tone when his right hand weakly circled Steve's wrist. That weak gesture was simply going to have to be good enough for the moment.

"Ponch and I found her where you hid her under the trees; they're waiting for us at that location. She's pretty mad at you, Danno." There was a mild chuffed sound as Danny's eyes began to close once more.

"Bossy." He whispered under his breath.

"Bossy?" Steve's eyes were moist as he shook his head at the softly worded complaint. "If you think Doc Ramirez is bad, you should see Ellen when her patient ignores her orders."

"Don't remember." He murmured and Steve heard it as an apology. Forcing his eyes back open a last time, Danny tried to make himself remember Steve's face or anything about his voice. His mind though continually failed to provide the right answers where only his gut instinct - and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on - had proved him correct in the end.

"You just did, Danno. You just did." He tried to frown when their eyes met and his fingers tightened on Steve's wrist. His lips twitched again at the man's odd expression, but he was too tired to put a name to it.

"Steve." It was said as another breathy apology with a slight head shake as his voice began to fade. None of it bothered his friend and partner. The only reply was an off-hand shrug and an awkward, careful hug. As Danny lost consciousness to pain, fatigue and absolute relief Steve continued to whisper to him.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	12. Chapter 12

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Twelve**

 

**SATURDAY, JUNE 21ST - AMERICAN SAMOA (LATE MORNING - EARLY AFTERNOON)**

It took well over two hours for the combined teams to get Danny and Ellen back to the medical tent. They had to stop often to negotiate the rough terrain, change hands on the stretchers and ensure that Danny continued to breathe. That condition had become a disturbing outcome of the tragic events from the last many hours. Exposure to immense changes in weather and the general stress of dealing with an already damaged body had created a perfect storm. Feverish had become fevered and low vitals had become terribly erratic.

"Come on Danny." Ramirez found himself repeating the same words he had when he'd first discovered the man the prior day in the medical tent. "Keep breathing for me. Don't stop now." The frantic race uphill was now reversed as they battled the clock again and the big doctor was kept busy monitoring vital signs which seemed to conversely rise and then plunge without warning.

By the time they'd all returned to the main encampment, everyone was overwhelmed with what had just happened and the extreme physicality of the rescue. But where the M.P.'s staggered into the shade to sit and catch their breath, Chin, Steve and Ramirez continued to work for and on their friends. Laroux appeared immediately with another TAMC doctor to wade in and help where they could; but Ponch wasn't sure which way to turn at that point. Ellen was the one that finally took his face between both her hands and insisted that he listen.

Her hands were shaking from her own pain, but she was very determined as she physically aimed his face towards Danny. "Don't waste time arguing with me .. he knows you and they're having trouble stabilizing him. Anyone can set an ankle, Alphonse. I'll be fine."

He stared at her as his TAMC peer hustled over with a portable x-ray machine to prove he could well take care of Ellen's injury. "Call me if you need something .. anything." Ellen managed a weary grin as she pointed to Danny.

"We will. It's okay .. go." Ponch could only nod as he moved quickly to Danny's side where Doctor Laroux was already adding to the triage done on the trip back down.

"How is he?" But Laroux was quietly cursing in a steady stream of French as he tried to find a vein that would cooperate for a second intravenous line before he decided on subcutaneous fluids directly into a spot on Danny's chest. Without a response from the other doctor, Ramirez quickly stripped the rest of Danny's ruined clothing to gain access to his torso. He needed to recheck the broken rib and make sure it hadn't worsened.

"The transport." He muttered to himself because they needed to leave Samoa. Laroux looked up briefly and nodded in agreement. "Yes, we need to know."

"Where's Marco?" Ponch paused for a short moment as he searched the tent for that certain someone. When he found him, he shouted a demand that had the man running out of the medical tent. "Marco, right now. Find out when the next transport leaves for Hickham."

His fingers then deftly felt along Danny's ribcage and he sighed in relief when he encountered nothing new. "Good job. Small favors." Ramirez ground out tiredly before moving to his arms.

"But this .. damn it." He was focused now on Danny's broken wrist which seemed to have been wrenched again. He gently removed the old splint to palpitate the area and then motioned with his head to a nurse who was helping with Ellen's injured ankle.

"Give me the portable x-ray when it's available. Then I need to stabilize this .. get me another splint, bandages and a sling .. one where I can strap this arm to his body." There was a long period of silence as the two doctors and a number of nurses worked around Danny.

Chin and Kono were standing just off to the side but closer to where Pete Channing remained under guard. There was no need to inform the criminal that his own colleague had been killed; it was fairly obvious that he had already guessed that as the end game. Kono's anger had only increased since they'd gotten back and she'd seen Danny's injuries. Chin's quiet explanation about his very sketchy memory made things much worse. All of that fresh anger was now aimed directly at him as her friend was being cared for and Channing knew that he was far from exempt from any wrongdoing. In fact when he accidentally looked across the space and locked eyes with the team's Commander, Channing knew he was about to be held directly and solely responsible.

Laroux had taken to muttering to himself in French and though Ramirez had no idea what the man was saying, the lilting tone of his last few words almost made him smile. He was clearly as exasperated and as caring as everyone else.

"Signs of shock mostly due to exposure and dehydration." Laroux was moving quickly and in harmony with the big TAMC doctor as he checked Danny's lower extremities and socked feet. He gasped when he cut away what remained of the bandages Ellen had wrapped around Danny's right foot. Working his way down, the sock followed and then the first row of bandages that Ponch himself had done.

"Not sure what you'd like to do here?" Laroux said as he gently tugged the left sock off and dismally shook his head about the damage he was finding. "His feet are badly bruised and there's significant swelling."

Ramirez was infuriated by the bloody, bruised and swollen feet which added to Danny's growing checklist of woes. Flushing the cuts and then using clean dressings were their only options and his stunned eyes mirrored his French colleague's. He scrubbed his face with both hands and then threw his arms up in the air. It was almost overwhelming as each inch of Danny's skin yielded another injury to contend with.

"We'll start by a judicious cleaning and antibiotic cream. Wrap them both very well and elevate his legs." Danny wouldn't be walking for many days to come. It was then Ponch looked up to find Steve staring at him with an odd expression. He was motionless and nearly invisible where he stood stock still against the tent wall. He didn't appear to be breathing himself as he stood perfectly straight and dangerously quiet.

Ponch didn't need to say a thing to the man as he dropped his focus back to Danny. Steve knew. It was all much too obvious to everyone present in the area; the fight was still in full swing. But the big doctor was quite unwilling to do anything less than pull Danny through as Doctor Laroux continued mumbling under his breath while taking notes about various readings.

"Temperature is one hundred two. Infection ... most likely .. I'd suggest a strong course of broad spectrum antibiotics now." Oxygen was increased and the frantic pace around Danny's body grew as people fought to stabilize his condition. His blood pressure was too low and his pulse was conversely too rapid as it weakly fluttered under Ponch's fingertips.

"Transport. When!" Ponch looked up in anger now since no one had answered him and Marco was nowhere to be seen. He couldn't find his staff member anywhere in sight and let out with a deep, bellowing shout. "Marco! Where the hell did he go?"

They had a long flight back and Danny was now in dire condition. With the relative open atmosphere of the medical tent, he could feel Steve, Chin and Kono breathing down his neck while their own sense of panic increased in time to the level of activity. Ellen was alternating between laying down to be treated and propping herself up on her elbows to get her own read on Danny's status.

Ducking past a few people, Marco finally returned out of breath but at least with some news for the team. "The first already left, sir. They're fueling up the second that just arrived a short while ago. They estimate another hour before they can taxi out. They'd like to begin loading emergency cases as soon as possible to ensure their safety and be ready to leave"

Running an aggravated hand though his hair Ponch came eye to eye with Laroux. The two doctors were doing the math in their head as that hour was added to the nearly six required for the return flight.

"You'll need more supplies." Laroux stated as he began to pack two boxes. There was no doubt that Doctor Ramirez would be returning earlier than anticipated to TAMC as the wounded man began to moan in pain. They both noticed but ignored Steve when he walked closer to put a hand on Danny's arm. They had done as much as humanly possible with the ample tools they had at their disposal, however the tension remained high.

"We'll help .. I'll personally pack whatever you need."

Steve listened silently as the two conferred about the coming long flight and what additional supplies might be needed. He rubbed Danny's arm again as he softly muttered something Steve couldn't understand or hear very well. Deep in the pocket of his tac-vest sat Danny's badge from when Steve had picked it up in the tent. He could almost feel it through the thick, protective material; he would hang onto it until Danny was ready to have it back.

"You know me, Danno" Steve whispered under his breath. Ramirez had warned him about Danny's injuries and memory. The doctor would be trusted to do his best to care for the injuries, but when it came to the latter, what had happened with Madison proved much more to Steve. If the instincts were intact, then so were the memories. "You know Kono, Chin, Ellen and Doc Ramirez, too. You're going to be okay."

Danny needed to get well for a number of reasons; a very large number of extremely excellent reasons. At the top of the list was the singular most distressing reason that Steve so desperately wanted to fix as soon as he could be sure the danger had passed. "I need to give Gracie some good news, Danno. I really do and you don't have any idea yet what that means."

When her father wasn't there for Father's Day - when he had been abducted practically on that special day - Steve had never seen Grace implode. He never wanted to see it again. That day had begun the downward spiral to the overly quiet and morose child that refused to eat or come out of her room. It only had worsened as each day stretched into an endless week of no word or sign of being able to bring Danny home.

Steve couldn't do more than hang on to Danny's arm. To the one part of him that seemed free of bruises, intravenous lines or bandages. He glanced over to Channing and the young man paled again with no where to go. They'd get this Max or find him dead. Darien would be prosecuted and Peter Channing wouldn't see the light of day. If any others were involved, they'd find them too. There was no doubt of that particular fact.

Darien had almost won but  _almost_  didn't count. What was most disturbing was Darien's reach and evident wealth; they needed to be very careful to end this entirely in their favor. The mobster had resources they knew very little about and Steve supposed that in the end, that was the man's point with the abduction and threats. He felt he could do what he wanted at any time but he'd only managed to strengthen Steve's resolve.

"It's not going to be his way. He's not getting off and you're not going anywhere but home." Steve closed his eyes and listened to the organization taking place around them. Ramirez and Laroux were close to being able to move Danny to the waiting transport. Added supplies were being boxed and readied as well. It felt good to be around others that were so highly efficient and Steve eventually found that he could take comfort in that warm buzz of activity.

"It's time to leave." Giving Danny's arm a reassuring squeeze before he was forced to back up for the doctors, Steve whispered quickly to him one last time. "We're going home. You deal with getting better, everyone will deal with helping Grace, and I'll take care of Darien."

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**SATURDAY, JUNE 21ST - AMERICAN SAMOA (AFTERNOON - LATE AFTERNOON)**

The team sat in a loose cluster around Danny on the Oahu bound military plane as medical personnel attended not only to him, but to the other urgent care patients being transported back to TAMC and other waiting hospitals. They were now halfway through the long flight and everyone only became more anxious the closer they were to their destination.

Pete whom Danny would identify as 'Sneakers One' was also on the transport and continually under a heavy, unrelenting guard. The third man had not been found or flushed out and for that, Kono was especially in a mood.

"He told me about where they kept Danny. Some sort of old shelter up near the National Park and there actually had been a mud slide. But Chin, he's got a nickname for us and nothing else?" She was angry about Channing's dismal lack of information when it came to the missing third criminal. "It makes no sense!"

"Hired guns .. no need to make friends. They get in, get out, get paid and move on. Maybe he's dead. He probably is." Chin offered quietly as he caught his cousin's disagreeable expression. For the many long hours to come they all had one special person to focus on as he lay on a stretcher almost at their feet.

"Or not. No more chances. None. Channing's going to give a detailed description to a sketch artist as soon as we get back. And then - he's going through every mug shot on file from start to finish." She ground out it all out in a huff as she watched Pete avoid her face where he lay cuffed on another stretcher between two soldiers. Kono ran out of words as she watched Ponch sit back on his heels after changing out another bag of fluids. He was drawn and from where she sat, she thought the doctor's eyes looked a bit off and she frowned.

"Chin." She poked her cousin in the shoulder and then nodded towards the big man. Doctor Ramirez was clearly exhausted as he toiled over Danny. The doctor had been working for hours with volunteers and then Danny's unexpected arrival had continued that diligent work. A long night had become a stressfully long physical day and his older body was beginning show signs of its own self-inflicted trauma.

"He's got to stop. He needs a break. Chin, do you see this?" Kono realized what was going on as she looked from the big man's sweaty face to Ellen's worried expression. She'd been trying to get her husband's attention for the last hour and he'd been studiously ignoring her.

"He's going to get sick or keel over, and Ellen is very upset." The older doctor was in his mid-sixties easily and the trek through the humid-filled jungle on top of his non-stop workload was finally taking its toll. A healthy dose of very real emotional worry for his wife and Danny had added a significant strain. As the transport made its way through the skies, Kono got to her feet and pulled her cousin with her.

"Steve. Boss." Another friend was close to exhaustion, but Steve wasn't nearly as bad as the older Ramirez and she bent down to whisper in his ear. "Doc's just about had it. Have you noticed?"

He actually hadn't and Kono's words were shocking as he got to his feet and really saw the man. Ponch's hands were shaking and sweat was pouring down his face as he bit back deep swallows that seemed to indicate he was also nauseous. Rather than going directly to him, Steve looked for another TAMC specialist he'd been introduced to and waved him over. Their discussion was short and included a much relieved look of thanks from Ellen as she realized what they intended to do.

She mouthed a quick teary-eyed _thank yo_ u to Chin as she tried to relax on her own stretcher.

"How's he doing?" Steve hunkered down next to Ramirez as he eyed the continued quaking in the big doctor's shoulders. He took a long minute to worriedly get a closer view of his partner, too. Danny's bandaged feet were elevated on two rolled up blankets and he was trembling uncontrollably as a fever began to take a more firm hold. Two IV"s now ran into his arms, the port that Laroux had set for subcutaneous fluids was still in his chest, and his splinted wrist was secured with a tight sling to his body. He hadn't awakened again since killing Frank and his bruised face was nearly hidden between the oxygen mask and clean white bandages over his temple.

"Holding his own. I think he's stabilizing a bit." Ponch groaned tiredly as they slowly stood up quietly together. He stretched to crack a kink in his back and then lost his balance. Steve used a slight turbulent bobble in their flight as an excuse to grab the big man's forearms a second later. His friend was covered in a cold, sheen of sweat and Steve had to fight to hide his new concern.

"We can't do much more until we get him to TAMC."

"Good. And how's Ellen doing?" Ponch sighed heavily as he glanced to his wife who was now resting more easily as the friends surrounded her husband. He had yet to notice what they were doing, but Ellen had a birds-eye seat. Chin grinned at her again and this time, Ellen smiled back. The TAMC specialist Steve had called over, made a point of sitting down in nearly the same spot Ramirez had vacated by Danny's side. His move forced them to back up a bit to give him room to work and Ellen grinned at the ploy.

"She's okay. The break is bad, but she has a digital pulse and good circulation into her foot. She'll need surgery to repair the worst of it."

"I'm sure you'll have the best ortho on her case." Steve smiled gently as he continued to hold the doctor's arms. He shifted his weight slightly and Ramirez was forced to take even a few additional backwards steps.

"So that's good, too. Sit and take a breather, Doc." Ponch's eyes were blinking rapidly and he never realized that Steve had gently moved him aside until the seat connected with the backs of his legs and he lost his balance to sit. Steve blandly folded his arms and sat next to the man on his right while Kono took a station on his left. Chin raised his eyebrows questioningly as he sauntered over to stand directly in front of the exhausted doctor.

"What are you doing?" Ponch lost his ability to sound severe when his hoarse voice cracked. So Kono only offered him a winning smile and a happy shrug while rocking her shoulder gently into his.

"Hanging out with a good friend, brah. What else?"

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	13. Chapter 13

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Thirteen**

**SUNDAY, JUNE 23RD - AMERICAN SAMOA (LATE MORNING)**

Brian McNamara estimated that he'd be home by eight o'clock that night. He built in a substantial buffer of time and then tried to come up with a suitable story for his visible cuts and bruises. A fender bender seemed like the only plausible solution to spin. However, he would need an even better explanation as to why he missed that afternoon's final legal walk-through for the Monday opening arguments.

With cases as large as Darien's, it was all hands on deck usually seven days a week and twenty-four hours a day. The final prep meeting was more of an elaborate staging that re-established roles, responsibilities and often included a recitation of speeches or verbal tactics. The more important murder charges would be discussed and presented first, with the lesser money laundering and racketeering charges bringing up the rear to pile on the case against Allen Darien. Once the opening arguments were achieved, the murder portion of the trial could feasibly take days or even weeks to hash through between both sides. McNamara feasibly had a long wait after the first day or two since he was most involved with the money laundering portion personally ... at least at first glance. Behind the scenes, he had tampered with some murder evidence to such an extent that it might wind up missing or unavailable when needed most. At least two jurors were justly uneasy and regardless of Williams' fate on Samoa, McNamara felt strongly that McGarrett's testimony would also be suspect.

In the short term though, everyone involved on the prosecution side was expected to attend the final legal walk-through. The head of the prosecution team, Alistair Landon, demanded that they all participate in the preparation meeting. It made perfect sense since they all needed to know what each expert sub team would be doing; Landon demanded that the presentation of proof against Darien flow seamlessly from start to finish. In the successful prosecuting attorney's own words, Landon wanted Darien to have a "happy dance all the way to jail."

Brian McNamara certainly didn't approve of Landon's objectives. He preferred to collect the remaining half of his lucrative salary. These thoughts were running non-stop through his head as he waited on the long queue to board the plane. Like everyone else, he was outwardly relieved and very congenial. He blended well with the other tourists that had become marooned on Samoa despite the advance warnings.

He unconsciously shook his head as he climbed the stairs to board. He would miss the meeting. After passing muster and gaining permission, he was going to leave Samoa on the first commercial airplane allowed to land and now depart the bruised islands for Honolulu International Airport. But he would still miss the meeting and be unable to contact anyone regarding his delinquency. His cell phone was long gone and there was nothing he could do about it. Then again, he wouldn't have called anyone regardless since he was nowhere they thought him to be. Calls could be traced and he would never have taken that chance so he accepted the need to concoct a story.

He sat down with an exhausted sigh in the first available seat and then closed his eyes as he positioned his head against the small window. He would need to use a very typical car accident or even a car jacking as an excuse for his disheveled state. His phone had been stolen, as had his wallet. He didn't like that concept since it was a complete travesty to his ex-boxing prowess. Perhaps he had been overwhelmed by two or even three thieves?

McNamara almost laughed at his own ridiculous mental ramblings; if he didn't believe it possible, why would anyone else? He was tired and would use the flight time to come up with a much better explanation for his bruises and delinquency. Before dozing off, he had already decided that a more simple story was the best idea. He would maintain that he had spent the last week visiting his father in California as he had planned. But he would contrive a car accident as the reason he'd missed his return flight. Perhaps rumor of a concussion would buy him another day for not returning on time. Regardless, it would be a difficult discussion and McNamara was disgusted that was the best he might do. However, he had no choice.

With nothing to do but think or catch up on much needed rest, he kept his eyes closed and willed himself to sleep as a young couple took the two seats next to him on the plane.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**MONDAY, JUNE 24TH - HAWAII (MORNING)**

Danny glanced at the clock high up on the wall. It was almost nine o'clock and he knew that Steve would come as he had every day. In truth, virtually every minute of every hour for the last one and a half days that he could recall being conscious at Tripler. His self-appointed shadow had defiantly lurked or simply made his presence most obvious nearly every second except for the last few where Doctor Ramirez had forcibly removed him - and the other two members of the Five-0 team - from the building with orders not to return until nine o'clock the next morning.

Doctor Ramirez had slept nearly fourteen hours once they'd all returned home and Ellen had her surgery just the day before. She was resting but would be released later that Monday to go home. As the team had done for him, the doctor had insisted they all take time to rest with the promise that Danny would be out of the ICU upon their next visit if he continued to improve.

So in fact, he had just been moved to a private room that included not only a clock and a semi-solid breakfast, but a working television and two immovable HPD guards in the hallway to compliment the TAMC security staff. Danny had stabilized and improved steadily; enough so that he could be moved to his own room where he could be more well-protected as the trial began. But not enough where he could even consider being released based upon lingering effects of dehydration, his badly damaged feet and the stubborn infection that kept his temperature well above normally acceptable readings.

Danny sighed under the oxygen mask as a loud sound from the hallway briefly startled him. "It's okay." He chastised himself for his continued nerves and unsettled behavior before pulling up the blankets higher with one hand. His fever made him cold and he was trying to use the TV to distract himself from far too many other things. His familiar and yet not so familiar team for one.

He let his eyes wander from the screen almost directly to where his badge lay on a side table. Steve again. The man had been inordinately pleased to return it to him in the ICU.

He was about to lean over and pick up the badge when something on the TV captured his attention. A large group was walking down a sidewalk towards what appeared to be a courthouse. Danny felt the recognition tingle through him when he realized that it was the downtown courthouse and yet another report on the Darien trial. The group stopped as they were swarmed by media and after a heated discussion, one man of the group was deemed spokesperson.

Danny watched and listened blandly as the man gave his captive audience a completely contrived speech about the charges being levied against the mobster. The sound was low and Danny was quiet until his eyes settled on one particular man just off to the side. As part of the group, he was well dressed and as eager as the rest. A small skin-tone bandage was on his cheek and a soft smile curled his lips as he listened to his senior partner with evident pride.

With a start, Danny realized he was seeing the prosecution team and he thumbed the volume up; his next response was to rip the oxygen mask from his face. The text on the bottom of the screen announced the speaker as Alistair Landon, Lead Prosecuting Attorney. His discussion was exceedingly brief but Danny was riveted as the team walked away to continue down the sidewalk and into the courthouse. That one man's low, rolling gait and his broad stocky shoulders was much too familiar.

"No, no, no!" Danny forgot everything else as he gasped loudly and then tore the blankets off his legs.

"It's him. He's here!" By the time he'd ripped the leads off his chest for the heart monitor, bells were chiming and he was nearly shouting while pointing to the TV screen. The guards had come running, along with one nurse who failed completely at getting his attention as he began to hyperventilate.

"Get away from me." Danny coughed again as his chest tightened around his damaged rib.

"Sir, you need to stay in bed." The nurse had his shoulders as he fought to get up. The only thing in her favor was that he was severely hampered by the cast on his left hand and weakened condition. But she did nearly slip when he managed to push the blankets to the floor and her own feet got tangled up.

"What's wrong? Detective .. you can't walk. Please calm down!" Nothing she said helped though and she wound up turning to the HPD officers for help.

"I need more help .. he's going to hurt himself!" One of the HPD officers tried to lend a hand by bringing his legs back to center but Danny heaved the remote at him in an attempt to gain ground. It clattered to the floor loudly but the officer managed to at least help the nurse gently enough.

Danny barely noticed more than the utter frustration of being restrained as he eyed the screen and began to cough. It didn't matter that the segment had nearly ended now and the news anchors were speaking about the case; sharing their own take on things to come. Danny knew what he saw - he knew  _who_  he saw.

Sneakers Two was  _here_  and he needed to do something. Anything.

"You don't know what you are doing! You have to let me go!" Bedding and pillows were soon entirely on the floor as Danny wheezed and fought harder to escape. He was close to ripping the IV ports from his arm and the oxygen mask was long gone.

Once Danny truly began to escalate and she knew that he had no intention of calming, the nurse shouted for more help and the second officer jogged down the hall to get someone's attention.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please refer to the usual "not a doctor caveats" apply for this chapter. Though this is a valid definition of compartmentalizing (Wikipedia) and I did use it to fit the story; it seems reasonable.
> 
> Compartmentalization may lead to hidden vulnerabilities in those who use it as a major defence mechanism. Those suffering from borderline personality disorder will often divide people into all good versus all bad, to avoid the conflicts removing the compartments would inevitably bring, using denial or indifference to protect against any indications of contradictory evidence.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Fourteen**

**MONDAY, JUNE 24TH - HAWAII (MORNING)**

"Leave me alone! It's him." Upset and now completely out of breath from his efforts, Danny had his right hand fisted in Steve's shirt as he pushed hard. He may have been a bit easier on the nurse, but he was not holding back on his partner. Steve was getting more of the same treatment as the first HPD officer who still lingered nearby. Steve had insisted that he leave the room, but he stood near the foot of the bed in case his help might still be needed. In a way, Steve was impressed with Danny's unexpected outburst and maybe just a tiny bit relieved since Danny had been so restrained and almost subdued since the abduction. But getting worked up in his much too perilous condition would not have a healthy outcome and Steve could feel the crash beginning through the shaky muscles and spasming, awkward motions.

"Take it easy, Danno." Sounding initially reasonable, Steve's own tone was rapidly changing as he too, got nowhere with the ill man. The nurse had instantly fled upon his arrival with the excuse of finding the doctor. So now, Steve was tasked with keeping Danny in the bed and trying to calm him until Ramirez could be found. He had thought things would settle down, but his automatic words only worsened the situation. At first relieved to see Steve arrive, Danny's eyes darkened within seconds because now time was being wasted and still, no one was listening to him.

"You really need to calm down. You have to try to relax." For some reason, he had expected something more and not a much too aggravating, ' _take it easy, Danno_.'

The puzzled and injured look on his face was fleeting, but Steve caught it all the same as Danny's fight finally started to leave him of its own accord. He was slick with sweat and his muscles were rebelling. Though his body was quitting, he was stubbornly insisting that he be allowed to leave as his voice cracked and then fell to a whisper.

"Steve. Get out of my way. You don't understand."

"Danny, you need to calm down. Then we can talk about whatever's wrong. I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened." Steve had his hands full of ' _distressed, sick Danny'_  as he tried to fight past him to get out on his feet. Something he had nearly succeeded in doing before Steve had arrived in the doorway and then rushed over to help keep him in place.

Steve's words seemed to make a small dent even though there was still some argument left. Danny still had a strangling hold on Steve's shirt as he pushed him again to try and make his point. "I saw him. He's here."

"What are you talking about? You know what .. it doesn't matter. You cannot get out of this bed. You can't even walk!" He groaned in frustration as Danny persisted and then winced as he banged his casted wrist on the edge of the bed and hissed in pain. There wasn't any doubt in Steve's mind either that the rib was also a painful proposition as Danny coughed and then wheezed in a short panted breath of air.

"Danny, come on. You're going to hurt yourself."

"I don't care. It's him." The two appointed police officers paced worriedly just inside the doorway, but stayed out of the fray since they were unsure how to best help. Danny's fever was still high and he had been hooked up to heart monitors, oxygen and no less than three intravenous lines that dispensed fluids, antibiotics and pain medication. Weak, sometimes confused and quite moody, he was now combative as he struggled against Steve's hands.

The pained  _ow_  coincided with Danny drawing his legs weakly up to his chest because he'd pulled on his broken rib. It left Steve no choice as he practically bellowed at him to relax. "Daniel! Calm down! Knock it off!"

The disconnected heart monitor was shrilling dangerously as Danny reluctantly gave up most of his fight. Looking around the room, Steve shook his head at the demolition; it looked as if a small tornado had passed through the room. The oxygen mask was on the floor, as was the large remote that not only paged the nurse's station but also controlled the television. Danny's eyes were still glued to the screen which had long ago switched from the interviews and report on the mobster's trial to a car commercial. He continued breathing erratically and was definitely hypervigilant from whatever or whoever it was he thought he had seen. But the first thing Steve did was to retrieve the oxygen mask to refasten firmly to Danny's face.

"Leave it on!" Steve snapped angrily as he stood with his hands on his hips before running an aggravated hand through his hair. "What are you doing, Danny? You're too sick to get this worked up. Who put the damned TV on in the first place?"

Steve had walked in on his partner just as the news report was nearing its end and he'd missed what had so upset him. All he could see was that Danny was half out of bed and close to taking what would have been a rather serious header to the tile floor. Only the nurse and the HPD officer were vainly holding him back but both were close to losing their end of the disagreement. The pillows that had elevated Danny's bandaged feet were now strewn on the floor, as were all the heavier blankets. The light sheet was wrapped around his right leg and one IV port was pulled dangerously tight. His badge, which had been on the small side table, was now under the bed where it had fallen in the messy altercation.

"Steve, it was him. I swear it was." Steve groaned and barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes in frustration. He sat back down on the side of the bed and placed his hand firmly on Danny's chest since it almost felt as if things could blow up for a second time.

"Who?" He took his eyes off Danny's face to look up to the broadcast. The sports segment had rolled into another series of never-ending commercials but Danny was once again fixated on the screen. "Danny, you need to speak to me in complete sentences. What's wrong .. who is it?"

"Steve, it was him." He almost laughed in exasperation at the sheer comedy of hearing the same words which were now only muffled by the oxygen mask. Only it definitely wasn't funny and Steve rubbed the palms of his hands into his eyes. When he looked at Danny again, it was with a serious expression and with a quiet demand that he explain himself fully.

"Alright, I believe you. It was him. Just lean back and don't move. Tell me what happened. Who was it?" He sighed when he realized all the pillows were on the floor and he rocked off the bed to retrieve the first two. He raised the head of the bed and then worked them behind Danny's head and shoulders, followed next by fixing the badly tangled thin white sheet.

"Sneakers. The second one. He was on the news about Darien's trial." Steve stopped from where he was bent over trying to get the heavier blankets collected from the floor. He was incredulous as he looked from Danny to the television but the ridiculously long commercials were still humming along.

"That guy - Mac?"

"Sneakers. Mac. Whatever you want to call him!" Danny continued to be very upset and his hand was shaking badly when he rubbed his forehead. "I saw him. It was him."

Steve made a face as he looked into Danny's still very glassy eyes. Infection had taken a firm hold and he was still sporting a high temperature. Since waking the prior day, he'd become more coherent with each passing hour but remained just as jumpy, generally confused and insecure. For the most part, he did accept that he was at least safe - and even home - though he hadn't yet asked to see anyone else. And for that major gaffe, Steve remained very concerned.

However, the very last thing he had anticipated was Danny having access to any type of news. The trial was slated to begin that afternoon with opening remarks presented by the prosecution. There were many telecasts in progress that were reporting on one aspect or another of the highly sensationalized trial. With the damage done, Steve was about to question him more when Danny's face completely changed from defiance to one of abject mistrust.

"I don't want that." Danny's voice suddenly dropped as Ponch quickly strode in with a syringe and the same very flustered nurse. He watched almost in fear as the doctor went to the IV pole and then made sure the lines and ports were still in place. At the same time, the nurse unplugged the screaming machines to stop their wild noises.

"Doc." Danny wisely guessed that what Ponch held might be a sedative and his struggles began anew as soon as Steve saw his legs start to move. "No, I don't want that .. please."

Holding his hand up to forestall the doctor, Steve sat on the edge of the bed and pushed Danny back into the pillows. He was feverish and shaking badly with his one good hand bundled defensively in what remained of the bedding.

"You really have to calm down. Ponch only wants to help and you're all over the place."

Working around them, the nurse studiously fixed the heart monitor, pushed the pulse oximeter onto Danny's finger and made sure the oxygen was working properly. Once back in place, the pinging of the heart monitor increased two-fold, as did the erratic breathing but Danny allowed Steve's hand to hold him in place. Then he took a huge deep breath of oxygen before trying to speak again.

"I don't need it though. I'm fine."

"I beg to differ." Ponch sighed noisily as he shoved the slender syringe into his pocket. The heart monitor quite easily proved that fact as the doctor grimaced over the too high readings. The pulse oximeter showed that his oxygen levels were equally lower than desired even though the oxygen mask was back in place.

"What happened in here? It looks like a bomb went off." The doctor glanced over to his frazzled nurse who needed a morale boost after the incident. "My nurse says that you had quite the meltdown, Detective."

They had obviously tested the vial found in Frank Madison's knapsack and a strong sedative had been routinely used to keep Danny under control for the many days he'd been missing. Whatever had him so badly worked up at that moment though was wreaking havoc on his blood pressure and heart rate and by rights, he needed a mild sedative.

"It's a mild medication. Just so you can rest and get some sleep; we need to bring your heart rate down." The look on his face was more than enough answer as to his continued dislike of the idea. Ponch had his own compromise as he raised his finger sternly and the tapped the pocket where the drugs lay hidden.

"You get only one free pass, Detective. You've come a long way in a few short days and even if you don't care, I'm obligated to keep you moving in that positive direction."

"He'll behave, Doc. Right?" Steve glared warningly at his friend who finally nodded again to agree. "Tell me slowly .. you saw this guy Mac on TV?"

His question brought the doctor closer who was now as interested in the conversation as he was in caring for his patient's escalating blood pressure and heart rate. The name explained a great deal about Danny's reaction and mood swing. "The third man? The one Channing mentioned?"

"Sneakers." The whisper was low and Steve patiently waited. Danny was still reluctant to speak and evidently a bit muddled about many things, but certain other things had definitely returned. His knowledge of the trial being one of those and he had committed every conscious aspect of his abductors to memory.

"It's him. He's here and was on a segment with a bunch of suits going into the courthouse. He's involved with the trial."

"We have a composite sketch getting worked up right now. Kono is with Pete Channing and the artist here in the hospital." Steve looked over to the TV again to note the channel that was being broadcast and then the current time.

"We'll get this station's footage too and rerun it, Danny. It will be easier than channel-hopping and driving ourselves crazy trying to find the same interview." With that, Steve determinedly shut the offending device off so that his partner would not do exactly that for hours on end.

"How do you know it's Mac though?"

"He's memorable." The doctor's raised eyebrows agreed to the shrewd humor behind the short statement. But Steve couldn't stop the automatic retort which practically fell out of his mouth.

"What? And I'm not?"

Danny did a stunned double-take as Steve chuffed a half-smile at his not so accidental joke. He shrugged and then tried smiling since Danny just sat there staring at him. Then there was a soft barked laugh from Ponch and if possible, the doctor's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his receding hairline. But Danny's teeth clacked together as his jaw clenched, there was another moment of silence, and then he simply continued talking.

"Stocky, muscular .. he has this way of walking and I'd know him anywhere. His walk, his hands .. it's him." Danny heaved in a shuddering breath as he closed his eyes. There were times he could still feel the hard meticulous punches. Seeing him now on TV reminded him of his broken rib, the argument the criminal had with Boots, and the last few very special one-sided boxing sessions that had left him nearly unconscious.

"No it was Madison he had the fight with." Danny suddenly whispered to correct himself from the bad habit of using the nickname. "Madison. Not Boots."

Steve glanced to Ponch as Danny zoned out and went somewhere else entirely. He never moved when Steve took his hand to get his attention or when the doctor hurriedly checked his blood pressure. He was remembering that Sneakers Two was the reason he'd nearly  _forgotten_  .. he had forgotten .. no, that was wrong .. he'd only protected IT and so many other precious memories like it so he wouldn't forget.

Yet, he had done just that. ' _Danno'_. The voice was in his head and he was sure he heard her clear as a bell. ' _I know what I want for my birthday._ '

"Danno? Hey .. are you alright?" Steve saw the change immediately in the new flood of tension that crossed Danny's face. His hand began to shake and then Danny's eyes snapped open as a warm feeling rushed in and he stared wide-eyed at Steve and then Ramirez.

"What?" He coughed over an unexpected dryness in his throat. He had completely forgotten what he was saying as a soft, voice said ' _Danno'_  in the back of his mind again. His mouth gaped open, slammed shut once until he found the right words to use.

"Grace? It was Grace. Is she here?"

Steve jolted to his feet as Danny muttered his daughter's name for the first time in days. "What did you say?"

Then it was almost gone just like on Samoa when Madison interrupted them. The expression was closing off as suspicion loomed much too closely. However, this time, Steve wouldn't allow it as he got in Danny's face and insisted that he repeat himself.

"What happened just now? Why did you say her name?" He wanted to shake Danny as he sat there in a wide-eyed silence just staring mutely at him. Before he could make that demand, Danny gasped and tried to take in a deep breath but the hitch in his throat nearly made him stutter.

"I heard her .. I heard her .. she was ..I almost forgot Grace. I was afraid .. that I'd forget her." Danny swallowed hard, stammered badly and this time, Ramirez pulled the syringe out of his pocket and dispensed into the IV line as his patient began to breathe much more erratically. If he had expected another argument, the doctor was sorely disappointed as Danny continued in a broken ramble.

"I didn't though .. I only thought I did .. everything .." His eyes closed a few minutes later as he clung to Steve's hand but he continued to talk and mumble to himself until his voice faded and he fell asleep. "I think I know .. I think ... I .. remember."

"What was that?" Steve turned to the doctor, surprised to find him smiling and bouncing on his toes. Pleased and perhaps more accepting of what was going on where he was completely in the dark. "Do you plan on filling me in on why you just sedated him?"

"His blood pressure is sky-high and he absolutely needs to rest. I can't put a name to what he's done either. Not exactly." The doctor grinned in understanding and then tapped his own head.

"The closest I can come is that he has compartmentalized everything good in his world so he wouldn't forget; it's a type of survival tactic. You know that yourself. It's a defense mechanism so to speak." Ponch continued to smile as he tried to explain what he thought had happened. The doctor didn't add that what Danny had been put through must have been seriously demoralizing, as well as both mentally and physically painful.

"He did it so well, he actually forgot that he'd done it. But his memory is coming back. I would think he did it on a base level to keep all that is good protected from what he was going through. It allowed him to focus on his current state and what he needed to do in order to simply survive."

"I get compartmentalizing. It's a sound tactic." Deep in thought, Steve nodded and then slowly began fixing the rest of the blankets. The blood tests had come back negative for any foreign substances and the MRI had found no contusions or brain injuries. There was no evidence of any of Madison's sedatives in his blood stream.

Steve had never considered a type of repression or compartment method though and was both impressed and slightly skeptical to some degree. There would have to be a reason for the move to be so complete and utterly thorough.

Mac. Peter Channing. Frank Madison. The brutality of the kidnapping, inhospitable environments, and utter lack of communication. Added drugs and mistreatment ... and Danny had almost given up. Steve paled as he watched Danny fall into a deeper sleep.

"Oh my god." He could see that Ponch was coming to the same conclusion, or at least to something very similar to his own. There was a sad truth to it because if certain events hadn't happened that allowed Danny to escape, they might not have ever brought him home. Danny might have been right in the worst possible sense.

"He didn't think he was going to make it. He didn't think we were coming."

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**MONDAY, JUNE 24TH - HAWAII (AFTERNOON)**

Kono tapped the information up on the smart table and then pushed it to the big screen so they could all see. Steve was shocked when he saw the man's photograph.

"He's talking about Brian McNamara. He's one step above a grunt-lawyer and is part of the prosecution team against Darien."

"It sure is him." Steve had met the man once and only briefly as part of the prosecution team initial meetings and interviews. In fact, Steve was the only one in Five-0 that had the brief introduction during pre-trial interviews. None of the other members of his team had the need to cross paths with the man. From what Steve recalled, he was arrogant as some lawyers might be, but very well-built as Danny described. They had received the footage from the station too, and Channing's description for the sketch artist yielded a startling resemblance.

Steve was with Kono and Chin at Five-0 headquarters reviewing the evidence that pointed a new finger at a mid-level member of the State's prosecution team. They were all inordinately proud that Danny could provide the further proof that identified the man so well.

"I can run background on this guy and get a handle on what we might be dealing with." Kono shared as she pulled out her tablet while standing near the smart table.

"Prosecution though? Sort of an odd association if the guy is working for Darien?"

"Know thine enemy." Chin shrugged in disgust. "He's in the perfect position actually. Involved, but part of the mix where he might not draw too much personal attention. I'd love to see his bank account."

"Well, he has now." Steve said as he downloaded the data to his device. "I need to get back to the hospital. I want to show this to Danny. He needs to be involved and he needs to know that we're getting places already."

Hours had now passed since the morning episode. Long hours during which Ramirez vowed that Danny would sleep soundly. During that time, the team had confirmed a great deal of information and they owed it to Danny to keep him in the loop. As part of a reverse psychology, Steve also hoped it would keep him calmer as he got well.

"Hey, Boss?" Kono was frowning heavily as she tapped the smart table. "If McNamara is the guy, he may not know Danny is still alive. He also may not know that we have Channing in custody. He sure doesn't know that Madison is dead. We can really play this out if we keep all of those facts under wraps."

Chin chuckled happily as he looked from Steve to his cousin. "Smart lady, cuz! We can take this as far as we want or need to."

They all shared a smile at the luck of that which kept control in their own house, but then Steve's face fell. He was scheduled to be in court Wednesday morning but had planned to meet privately with Rachel .. and then Grace. The situation was weighing more heavily on his mind with every passing second.

"What's wrong?" Chin asked when he saw the change in expression. "This is all good .. and Danny's slowly recovering his memory."

"I may not be able to speak to Rachel yet." With Brian McNamara now identified as the third man, he was too close and much too dangerous. It threw the wrench firmly into the mix and Steve completely hesitated with the plans he had scheduled for the remainder of the day.

"I can't have them going to the hospital or acting differently. It will be a tip-off if someone sees or notices; and then it puts them in danger, too. We need more on McNamara; we need to know what this guy is all about." He was staring at Kono and she smiled since she was already well down that very train of thought.

"I want his best associates. I don't care if you tell me what he eats for breakfast; everything is going to be helpful."

"On it. I'll actually run background on every person on the prosecution." Chin almost laughed because he was sure Kono had a file on each person already growing by each passing millisecond. "I'll swing by to see Danny later, too."

With that Steve gestured to Chin. With what they were learning, they could inadvertently end the trial themselves with an accidental misstep. "Let's go see the Governor. We need to fill him in on what we've found. It's much too big."

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	15. Chapter 15

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Fifteen**

**MONDAY, JUNE 24TH - HAWAII (EARLY AFTERNOON)**

Chin and Steve drove in silence after speaking with Governor Denning. To describe him as angry at the top of their meeting would have been a complete understatement. The risk to having a mistrial had only increased with their own knowledge of an insider on the prosecutions' team. No one yet knew if others were directly implicated or McNamara was now working as a solitary mole for Allen Darien. Denning admitted appreciating that Five-0 was already well-immersed in investigating each member of the team and not just McNamara. Like they did, he wanted to know more and he wanted to know it quickly.

After a long meeting, the three decided to stay the course until Five-0 could gather more intelligence which would be presented back to Denning. He in turn, would discuss next steps with the judge to establish a continuance. For the foreseeable future, Pete Channing would remain under lock and key, Danny would remain under police protection and Steve would conduct himself as he had been all along. If the internal investigation were to burst wide open and become public knowledge, the trial would be over instantly and a great deal of credibility would be irretrievably lost for the prosecution and Darien would gain significant ground. The worst case for them would be a complete win for the mobster where he'd be released on any number of legal technicalities.

The new caveat was that Denning demanded this be resolved within twenty-four hours since he was now obligated to support the interest of justice for the people. As a surprise to both men, Denning's initial instincts were to determine a valid reason for the judge to issue a continuance before either side could make the request themselves.

"He can be somewhat remarkable." Chin broke the silence first as they approached the hospital. Neither were lawyers of course, but Denning had a stunning wealth of knowledge about what might be done with the right layers of information.

"This  _Sua sponte_ which the judge can make without a motion or request?" Chin shook his head as he tried to wrap his brain around the concept and then shrugged because he was in awe and what had happened with the Governor was worth repeating.

"I had no idea that was even possible. Denning can be  _remarkable_."

Steve completely agreed with the sentiment. Denning had briefly described the ability for the judge to issue a continuance per his own act of authority. It was the validity of the reason that was the essence of the act. And they all wanted that to be as far from Brian McNamara and either legal team as possible so that the integrity of the charges and proceedings would remain intact.

It opened a door that allowed Five-0 to breathe a bit easier to avoid jeopardizing the overall legal case, themselves. In fact, Denning's public relations team had been keeping a close eye on the press. Unaware to them, the press coverage was becoming an issue of major concern itself to the overall health of the trial. Regardless of the gag order that was in place, coverage of the criminal activity and the trial had become increasingly excessive with every passing day. That editorial speculation had become problematic and worrisome. The high profile arrest had caused a great deal of conjecture which had already impacted selection of the jury, making that initial process twice as long as necessary based upon concerns the pool had been influenced by a contaminated opinion. Alistair Landon would not necessarily complain about public opinion as it was mostly in his favor to persecute the mobster to the fullest extent of the law. However, the defense team was already long rumbling about unfair lack of justice for their client.

Adding the secretive, threatening notes to particular jurors only exacerbated the fears of those selected to participate. In the end, it gave either side the right to question if a fair trial could or couldn't be held in the current established venue. What no one wanted was the threat of a mistrial or a situation that the court itself could not control from the onset. The Governor didn't want to risk a conviction being reversed if Darien's team could make any declaration that their client might be deprived of a fair trial. So, he was willing to nip it in the bud and discuss this tactic with the judge if the validity of the  _Sua sponte_  was firmly defined and established.

At the end of the meeting, Denning's anger had changed to an attitude of acceptance and even a bit of devious mischief. Five-0 was providing him with an impetus to initiate discussions with the judge for what was already a desired change of venue. The existing jury would be disbanded and a new selected, but the charges the mobster would remain untouched and relevant.

Five-0 would provide Denning with the right information as it related to his needs. They in turn, had carte blanche to go after Brian McNamara and anyone else identified as participatory or affiliated to Alan Darien. However, it was critical that nothing hit the press or become even rumored in public knowledge.

"We have a lot to do." Steve scrubbed his fingers through his hair as he digested what they were told. In some respects, pressure was taken off but in others, it remained as critical as ever. He would drop Chin at the offices to assist Kono and then visit Danny. But he needed to return to his team quickly to help drive the situation to a suitable end.

Chin was staring at him though and he knew the next question before it was asked. "I still don't think we can take the chance."

"I disagree, Steve. Grace and Rachel both need to know. This changes everything and I understand the original concern. But we own this now and even the Governor is on the same page." Chin had disagreed with keeping the two entirely in the dark from the start. He completely disagreed now that Danny was home and they had both argued about it the entire day on Sunday.

With Danny's memory returning, it gave Chin's objections even more credence. They all knew that Grace was still in a terrible state of mourning and to him, the risk was well worth taking.

"We can keep them safe if we need to. There's always a way." The smile was as devious as Denning's and Steve frowned. "Besides, if you are so driven in being extra careful, I have an idea if Rachel will go for it."

Steve found himself eventually smiling and then agreeing. He spontaneously changed direction and pulled on the freeway. Chin cocked his head quizzically and then smiled in return since they were headed towards the Edwards' residence. There was no time like the present and certain things absolutely required being handled in person.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

"So what exactly happened to you? This looks like more than a fender-bender."

Brian McNamara gave a wry grin to Alistair Landon as they ate a communal lunch. Wry, but not entirely friendly. Landon could set a monk on edge. Under his suit jacket and with sleeves rolled up, the myriad array of cuts, scratches and small bandages seemed to litter both arms. Landon had glanced at the impressive but superficial injuries and then asked the question for a third time. On top of it, McNamara's knuckles showed what were now old bruises and he still had a skin-toned bandage on his cheek.

"On the way to see my father one last time, a pickup truck blew a stop sign and hit the rear passenger side of my car. This is all from broken glass and I hit my head on the frame. I guess it's a bit more than a fender-bender, but it could have been worse." He kept it light and short. He was repeating himself endlessly to Landon and others on the prosecution team. With just the right amount of disgust, he added another key point to keep the story consistent. McNamara tried to mock himself by adding an offended and very put-out grimace for the inconvenience.

"Somewhere between the accident and the hospital, my things were stolen. Right out from under my nose. My wallet, cell phone and my carry-on bag. I had already missed my flight though."

"So you've said." Landon was eating quickly as he kept the conversation moving at a lively pace. He was cross-examining McNamara though as if he were on trial himself and the man's patience was wearing thin. He bristled when his boss eyed his arms and the bruise on his face that peeked out from under the bandage. Landon frowned as he eyed the injuries again; he was aggravating McNamara with the repetitive issue of the accident being termed a 'fender-bender'.

"Looks worse than a fender-bender.. Anyway, how's your father?"

"I got practically t-boned by a pickup truck." McNamara had already received his very public dressing down in the office from Landon. He repeated himself angrily now to correct the verbiage from what Landon seemed to be harping on. He had apologized to the lead prosecutor and to his team .. profusely. However, his tardiness and evident inability to contact any member of his team was an enormous ongoing issue. Regardless of injuries and personal theft, he or someone should have made an effort to contact his office.

"My father's fine .. he's .. ah .. getting up there now. He's ninety-four years old but still sharp as a tack." The bland non-verbal sound was instantly irritating as Landon ate his lunch. McNamara knew he was listening; perhaps too much even though he suddenly seemed preoccupied. Landon was a bull-dog and he'd learned to be exceedingly careful around the man. His tale was accidentally becoming bigger with each new question or feeling of doubt lobbed in his direction.

"He must be upset about your accident. Parents are like that, god bless them." Landon balled up the wrapper from his sandwich and then the paper-bag it had come in. He aimed well and sunk the garbage from where he sat into the wastebasket in the corner of the room.

McNamara blushed in anger as he pushed his lunch away. "He thought I had been in a bout, so I let him think that." The lies were piling on and McNamara almost couldn't stop. "It wasn't worth getting in to and he was just happy to see me."

"Oh? I thought he was sharp as a tack?"

McNamar's anger flared at the immediate challenge, but he kept it well in check as he raced through options. "I meant to say  _most_  of the time. These looked like fight bruises to him, so he had a  _moment_. Trust me, I didn't like it myself."

"I can understand that." There was a slight trace of empathy but not necessarily sincerity and McNamara remained on edge. He waited for Landon's next move without another word.

"Alright then." Before leaning back with a somewhat satisfied look, Landon tapped the long table firmly. His entire team was having lunch together prior to the opening arguments being voiced. He and his mid-level council were now decidedly done on a few different topics. He tapped the table again and then pointed a warning at his lawyer.

"Never again, Mac." The only evidence of his annoyance was the hard white-lined set to his mouth. Instead of answering Landon, he nodded and then excused himself to freshen up in the men's room. The discussion was now officially over but he was being reprimanded and warned. That warning would stand indefinitely.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**MONDAY, JUNE 24TH - HAWAII (LATE AFTERNOON)**

"So, I don't have TV anymore?"

The first words from Danny's mouth were compounded by the remote waving idly through the air. It was pointed at Steve and then upwards towards the screen which had a canned TAMC channel regaling its viewer with a laundry list of services available in the fine facility. Other pre-programmed choices included a home shopping network, and just one or two odd other options. But zero outside channels to the rest of the world.

"That looks like TV to me. Maybe you should give the program a chance, it might get better." Steve had dropped Chin off at the office after their meeting with Rachel. He measured Danny from head to toe before nodding in approval. "You look better, Danno."

He strolled in to find Danny wide awake as Ramirez had so reported to him on the phone. He was wide awake, still feverish, but more himself as he tossed the remote to the foot of the bed with obvious disgust. What wasn't yet there, was the obligatory verbal jibe Steve half-expected. Instead he got a silent attitude that erupted into more serious questioning. Still though, Steve couldn't be more pleased.

"Well, who is he?" Danny was abrupt and offered no preamble. "Did you find him?"

Danny had been looking at his blankets and now he stared directly into Steve's eyes. What he saw made him pause and his expression immediately brightened. Steve was smug and he knew that very special look like the back of his hand. Very  _chuffed_  with himself as Rachel might say and Danny's face slightly altered again as he zoned out. He saw her then, heard her saying the words in her lovely accent, and Danny heaved in a shuddered breath as another memory clicked and took hold. He wanted to ask about them now and he absolutely needed to see Grace. But as he was trying to force his mouth to work, Steve suddenly left the room.

Completely confused, Danny could hear soft conversation in the corridor. When Steve came back in, his original happy look was on the back burner while he gauged Danny's mood. In turn, Danny was trying to understand what else had just happened.

"Why did you leave?"

Steve's question was hesitant and almost disappointed. "Are you okay?"

"Why did you leave?" His jaw clenched as he countered the question and refused to be swayed. Danny was annoyed and he dug in as Steve's near-guilty look grew. "Steven?"

There was a glimmer of a smile at that and Danny squinted in temper which brought on a bigger smile. His own repetitive question resulted in another exasperated squinty frown and Steve had his answer before Danny finally gave in to speak. He asked again though just to be sure.

"You're okay, right?"

"I'm fine. Things are coming back." Danny admitted and then had to smile because he was feeling better. He also innately knew he wouldn't get more either until he convinced his personal watchdog of that very fact. "I was thinking again about Grace and even Rachel. It just happened and threw me. Is that why you left?"

Steve waited the narrow breadth of a heartbeat and then his smile was back firmly in place. "Wait here!"

"Ya think?" Danny griped in utter confused disgust as Steve oddly left the room again. His hand slapped the bed in the direction of his elevated and bandaged feet as he muttered to Steve's retreating back. "What is wrong with you?"

It didn't take long for his partner to reappear, but this time an enormous Hawaiian man showed up behind him carrying a pile of blankets. Steve's smugness was now amplified as he crossed his arms and allowed the big man to approach the bed with his odd bundle.

The man carefully shifted his load and smiled grandly with a happy, cocky shaka. "Howzit, bruddah?"

Danny stared dumbly at him before glancing once towards Steve. He squinted again before finally smiling and then pointed his finger directly into the Hawaiian's face. "Shave ice, Shamu!"

And then the blankets moved.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: I found a "MMA Fighter Nickname Generator" - what a hoot for Mac's old boxing moniker! There was a never ending list of choices; what I chose is simple but fits his demeanor.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Sixteen**

**MONDAY, JUNE 24TH - HAWAII (LATE AFTERNOON)**

Once the blankets moved, Danny didn't need anyone to say a single word. He knew. His eyes filled with tears and he held his good arm out as Kamekona unraveled Grace from her soft hiding place and deposited her on the bed. What Steve had expected to be a loud joyous event, was orchestrated in silence. There was no doubt that the joy was there, but even Kamekona didn't quite know what to make of the two.

After speaking to Rachel and gently breaking the good news, Chin and Steve worked with her to ease Grace out of her doldrums with as little of a shock as possible.

The why and the how weren't as important in the conversation for the child as much as the  _who_  and the _where._ Grace hadn't quite understood at first, or maybe she didn't exactly believe them, because she only stood silently in the family room shifting uncomfortably from one foot to another. She only reacted when Rachel mentioned going to the hospital.

When it finally sank in, a fresh spurt of sobs had eventually become excitement and she'd been bouncing by the time the adults had come to an agreement on the best way for her to visit Danno that very afternoon. Chin's idea to ask Kamekona to bring Grace independently from themselves and even from her mother caused Rachel to experience a spike of fear.

 _"Is it safe then?"_  Her question made Grace's eyes well with tears again as her mother waffled on allowing her to go. Chin and Steve explained that it had to do more with appearances than any actual danger in the hospital itself. Steve took personal responsibility for wanting to divide and conquer to make any subversive activity simply more difficult.

 _"There's no evidence at all to prove you've specifically ever been watched. None at all. We simply don't want her to be seen with any of us quite yet."_  With some residual reservation, Rachel did finally agree to bring Grace near a park where Kamekona had parked his food truck. With no signs of trouble, he'd outfitted Grace in an oversized t-shirt and plunked her in his truck with a few shrimp truck delivery bags. Their delivery happened to be to the employee side entrance of the hospital where Marco showed up to shuttle them in. Hiding Grace under a pile of blankets had merely been to surprise Danny in grand fashion before they entered the hospital room.

"Here you go short stuff." The big man had been touched by Steve and Chin's request for help. He'd been honored when Grace had so excitedly accepted his protection and now he was beyond words himself as Danny shed a few tears. Kamekona glanced awkwardly to Steve as Grace literally folded herself onto the bed and into her father's arms.

"Shootz" He whispered before daring to stroke Grace's head. Then he stood there for another moment completely content with Danny's silent thanks.

"I'll be outside, brah. Next time I'll bring something for you to eat. All my bags were lifted from me by that Marco. I'm not sure they feed the staff here; but that's only good news for me." His smile was back as he recovered with a subject he loved so well to talk about. Holding his arms out wide, he patted his own ample stomach as a worthy example.

"You're too skinny, Danny! But I can fix that right up."

Danny gave the man a crooked grin as he wiped his face in his arm and used his good hand to hold Grace tightly. Her excitement had turned into an emotional overload once she truly saw her father and Grace was crying softly in his chest. Not trusting his voice, Danny could only look from one man to the other with an incredible amount of genuine thanks.

"Chin's idea just to be sure. Rachel's fine with it .. she's fine with all of it. She will be coming separately later with Max." Steve offered quietly before he and Kamekona left the two to catch up on too much lost time. Ignoring everyone except for her father, Grace's arms were wrapped firmly around Danny and his eyes flickered once in confusion when Steve mentioned Max.

"Halloween. Keanu?" Steve's grinned as he added an extra subtle prompt.

The confusion lifted to be replaced by an understanding snort when that sunk in and Danny nodded that he understood. He cleared his throat to remove the rough emotional itch as something nudged sternly in the front of his mind and he motioned for Steve to wait. "Is it okay .. all of this?" He meant  _safe_  much the same way Rachel did and Steve's smug expression re-appeared with a satisfied ease.

"Yeah, it's okay. I'm just being my extra careful self." Steve was happy as Danny relaxed even more with Grace wrapped up next to him. "It's going to be fine, Danno. We identified the guy, we know exactly who he is, and we have a plan."

"Thank you." The confidence was inspiring and Danny chuckled into Grace's hair before planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Thank you all very much."

Before Steve closed the door, his smile was nearly as big as Danny's as he made one other point quite clear. "You two are to take as long as you need."

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Steve looked up just as Chin and Kono rounded the corner to the waiting room. Only forty-five minutes had passed, and he and Kamekona were patiently waiting for the right time to return to Danny's room. When he had secretly cracked the door to peek in, Steve saw Grace sitting on her knees next to her father's side. Enthralled in his daughter, Danny was smiling from ear to ear. Her face was still blotchy from tears, but Grace was finally laughing and talking animatedly. He stole that secret sight for a few seconds; closing the door again softly as Danny tickled her in the ribs to send her giggling sideways over his legs.

So he was relaxed and content when the rest of his team arrived at the hospital. Then utterly intrigued when he saw the close camaraderie between the two cousins which meant that they had important news to share.

"You look as if you have something." Steve leaned forward eagerly. Kono was particularly happy as she sat next to Steve with her tablet and immediately shoved it under his nose.

"Oh, I do and you'll like it." She pulled up her most recent findings and explained her tactics.

"I'm getting more of course. But the fastest information to look for on Brian McNamara includes the basics such as familial relations, current personal data and the like such as financial records, place of employment and residential address."

She tapped a few keys to open her photo application and then aimed the screen of the tablet towards Steve. He almost laughed when the first image popped across showing a much younger McNamara in an obviously staged professional boxing stance.

"I told you that you would like it!" Though the image wasn't even close to what she had to really show him, Kono grinned at his reaction.

"He was a boxer, no lie. In college, he had an excellent record and decent reputation across the amateur circuit. He went professional after he graduated but never quite broke out into the big leagues. I'm not quite sure why, though we have some suspicions based on his conduct."

Steve couldn't stop the disgusted and very loud snort that blew from his mouth. "Conduct? Why am I not surprised about the man's lack of ethics?"

Kono flipped through more images of the same to explain his eventual venture to law school once the idea of a pro boxing career had fizzled. "He's described as a swarmer or 'pressure fighter'. I found a few old match videos online if you want to see them."

His dubious eyebrows must have given him away, because Kono laughed outright at his confused expression. However, Kamekona was listening closely as he playfully shadow-boxed the air from where he sat.

"Joe Fraizer, brah!" The big Hawaiian slapped his own chin excitedly. He gestured towards Kono's tablet and the picture of a younger McNamara. "He's got a strong jaw that one then. He can take a hit up close, shake it off, and move on like it's nothing."

"You aren't supposed to be listening." Steve warned him only half seriously before turning back to Kono. "Why exactly is this important?" He had to ask it since now Kono, Chin and even Kamekona were bonding over the interesting description.

"He's a short man with a limited reach. He adopted this style where he stays close to his opponent by throwing a rapid fire of flurries, hooks and uppercuts. Other boxers seem to hate it because they get crowded, are less able to use their own power, and then get backed into a corner. But to do that and get close enough, he'd have to pay the price by getting hit a lot to get on the inside."

"Strong jaw, like I said." Kamekona reiterated his earlier compliment and then shrugged sheepishly at the team. "What can I say? I like the sport."

Chin's observation was perhaps more informative. "Opponents didn't like to take him on with the reputation he started to build. After a while, he had trouble getting quality matches. Based on some of the later fights before his career officially tanked, McNamara fought dirtier, more angry and with much less integrity."

It meant that the photograph sent to Steve held new meaning, as did Danny's residual reactive flinching and overly subdued behavior. He was returning to his old self, but Steve's entire demeanor abruptly changed with the lawyer's background now revealed in more detail. "He used Danny as a punching bag. He toyed with him like a rabid dog and he liked doing it."

The photograph lingered in his mind to be replaced by the upfront and personal reality of seeing Danny in real life. McNamara was a bully. He flaunted himself and he enjoyed impressing ... or intimidating ... people. Steve realized the injuries and bruises were incredibly measured and doled out with an exact precision. McNamara not only could take a punch, but he knew how and where to lay one with just the right amount of force to inflict pain and to cripple.

"I want more." Steve ground out angrily. "Channing is a nobody compared to this guy. I want more, Kono. I want him served up, ripped apart, and put away."

She sobered when his fury soared. She had a lot, but she knew that her findings were circumstantial. However, the odd facts were slowly being strung together and they were all determined to create one cohesive whole.

"His father was a darn good lawyer with a great reputation back in his day. He's ninety-three years old and in a retirement home in L.A. From what I can find out, the two are fairly close and McNamara calls or visits often enough." He waited impatiently as Kono continued her descriptive explanation which she seemed to need for her build up because Steve could feel the good stuff was just on the tip of her tongue. It was apparent that Chin already knew based on his pleased expression, though he was allowing his cousin to own the show.

"I've confirmed his home residence and related information. Plus his current employment status and professional history, including his case records. Those things are on the up and up." Kono grinned and then glanced once towards Chin.

"He has two monthly recurring gym memberships and still works out religiously like a gym rat. One gym is downtown here and the other is at home in L.A. The one in L.A. is a hardcore, competitive professional boxing club."

Chin was eyeing Steve carefully because the more Kono spoke, the more deathly quiet the man had become.

"Credit card and cell phone records show a consistent history of McNamara either visiting or calling his father weekly. He always makes time for the senior McNamara and hasn't missed visiting him personally on Father's Day in the last four years."

"Father's Day?" The change in subject seemed irrelevant at first and Steve was unable to hide his escalating emotions. Danny had been taken just before the special weekend. It hadn't been one of his scheduled shared times with Grace, but he and Rachel had worked it out. Then Danny had disappeared and the Camaro left abandoned with blood spatter on the driver's side seat. Steve at first wasn't certain as to why he should care if McNamara took such a loving, vested interest in his own elderly father.

"So? Why is this important?" His tone held a bit of temper essentially aimed at the world.

Kono held her hand up because she wasn't yet done. Her face was apologetic and as sheepish as Kamekona's had been just a few minutes earlier. "I called the retirement home and asked if I could speak to the elder McNamara."

Chin laughed out loud. "She made believe she was a writer for a boxing publication. She was doing a story on has-been, where-are-they-now burn-outs."

"I'd like to think I had more style than that!" Kono rolled her eyes at the rude choice of words before make an important amendment. "My story focused on retired masters .. but I wanted a father's impression and of course, the subject of Father's Day just happened to come up."

Her face was slightly sad as she thought of the elder McNamara's lonely venting. "The good son purchased round trip airline tickets to visit his elderly father between June 14th with a return flight booked for the morning of June 20th. But he never got on the plane. Mr. McNamara confirmed that Brian didn't visit this year. As a consolation prize, he sent his father a small flat screen with a blue ray."

More information came quickly to prove that Brian McNamara had essentially vanished for that one critical time period. "I asked around discreetly and he wasn't on the island. He didn't go to the gym or stay at his rented apartment. He didn't go to the office or to his favorite restaurants."

"This is definitely more and now we're getting places." Steve finally smiled at her pleased face. "So if he didn't leave the island and he wasn't working ... then where was he? Where did he go and why?" They were a rhetorical questions and no one needed to answer because they all knew precisely where McNamara had been. The essence would be to find factual evidence.

"It coincides to when you received your last packaged threatening note, too." She didn't say it, but it was obvious the ex-boxer was responsible for the evidence of the ongoing beatings in the photo. He had been part of the kidnapping plot, he had been on American Samoa, and he was absolutely in the employ of Allen Darien. Danny had identified him and Pete Channing's description for the police sketch artist was unerringly that of Brian McNamara, Esquire.

"Timeline fits on the surface, boss." The evidence was mostly circumstantial but it was an excellent beginning. Steve allowed himself a brief chuckle as Chin proudly stretched himself on the hard plastic chair across from him.

"It fits like a glove. We just need absolute solid proof to put him there."

"Great job, Kono." What she had discovered about the man, his background and daily habits was daunting and Steve's compliment was genuine. But he wanted irrefutable proof and she closed her tablet cover before he could voice the obvious. There was no doubt that they all wanted it.

"I still need more. Much more."

"Bank accounts and hidden financial records are going to take some time for me to find." Monetary evidence of would set things straight, but Kono had just begun that more lengthy search. "As his only living relative, I'll include his father's records in that too."

None of them had noticed Doctor Ramirez sauntering over to casually listen in to the very interesting conversation. Hands shoved deeply into his pockets as always, his face was pensive for a long time. He finally mumbled a distracted hello when Chin noticed him first.

"He obviously was on Samoa. But then he had to  _leave_." Ramirez was talking to himself as he considered the situation. He grinned at his success before slapping Steve sharply across the back. "How and when did he get back here by Monday's opening arguments? That TV segment proves he was here then. He would have had to been approved by the disaster recovery team, the officials in charge and the airlines."

Steve sunk deeply into the chair he was in as he mulled it over. It only left Saturday or Sunday as options. "He wouldn't have been approved for any of the emergency transports so that leaves the first commercial flights allowed in and out over the weekend. Private aircraft are still banned."

"That only leaves Sunday then." Kono confirmed.

"Thanks, Doc." Chin smiled appreciatively as he pulled out his cell phone. "I got this one. I'll get a list of the flights and then their passenger lists. I'm sure there weren't many. One or two tops at the most were allowed back."

Ramirez was pleased as he bounced on his toes. His hands were now laced together behind his back and he was beaming widely at the concept. He was on a role participating in an unplanned bit of detective work. "Unless of course he used an alias?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no." Kono admitted. "I still haven't identified any aliases other than his boxing moniker."

As she shared it with them, she made a hateful face about what she'd found online. The lawyer's father had shared it too with an embarrassed laugh from the elder. "Mac  _'The Ape'_  McNamara."

Steve and Ramirez said it at the same time, but no one actually laughed at the coincidence. "That fits."

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	17. Chapter 17

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Seventeen**

**MONDAY, JUNE 24TH - HAWAII (EVENING)**

Grace had left with Kamekona after Danny had finally eaten a light tray of food. She had been dozing tiredly and it was all Danny could do at the time to keep his eyes open long enough to force down the small rations before he too fell asleep. Their visit had been a perfect balm and while neither wanted to part ways, they were both equally exhausted. During that time, Max and Rachel had shown up to join the growing group of people that were slowly taking over the room. The Medical Examiner had been thrilled to participate in what he called his first ' _covert operation_ '. He ' _delivered Mrs. Edwards safely_ ' after meeting secretly at the library where he was proud to show off his bright yellow Camaro.

_'Not exactly an undercover vehicle. As you can see the sheer color would be rather conspicuous and would never satisfy such a need. But, therein too lies the beauty of using this car. No one would ever expect someone such as yourself to actually be hidden so carefully inside.'_

He then waxed on about its near identical nature to her ex-husband's silver model minus the requisite official police bells and whistles. Rachel had been rendered speechless first by the almost mirror-image of Danny's car and then by Max's ceaseless conversation. She was laughing by the time he had assured Kono, Chin and Steve that he'd out-manuevered any possibility of ever being tailed by any number of ' _prospective perpetrators_ '.

They all stayed longer than they really should and Rachel left with Max a few minutes after Kamekona. This time, they would reunite mother and daughter at the library and Rachel promised to call Steve once they arrived home safely.

When he woke a few short hours later, Danny was surprised to see only Steve in the now very peaceful room. "I thought you were going to see Denning?" Still tired, he yawned while checking the time and frowned when he saw it was so late.

"It's eight o'clock. I thought you were all meeting now?"

"It's become an early breakfast meeting. Denning had an urgent matter and we were pushed back. It just gives us more time to chase down more leads and be better prepared." Steve hadn't mentioned all of the information that Kono had found out about Brian McNamara. There hadn't been enough time before or after Rachel and Max showed up to discuss what would have become a much too involved conversation.

"So, who is this guy?" Thumbing the head of the bed higher, Danny was coming awake and more than interested to hear about Sneakers Two or whomever this 'Mac" might be. "Why or how is he associated to the trial?"

"His name is Brian McNamara. He's part of the prosecution team and reports up through the ranks to Alistair Landon, the lead prosecutor." Steve pulled out his phone and showed Danny the few photos he had downloaded from Kono's device. They had all agreed to keep him informed, but what happened next was completely unexpected as Danny took the phone and paged through the different images.

"McNamara has prepared the case-work specific to the racketeering charges. You recognize him and Channing is copping a deal that implicates him as one of your kidnappers. There's also a major gap in his recent travel history and we got him on that. Chin received the manifest from the two commercial flights that left Samoa on Sunday." He was happy and looking at the images as Danny continued to page backwards and forwards reviewing them over and over again.

"He was on the second flight out and landed at Honolulu International yesterday evening. We need to wait for Denning on this change of venue so we don't jeopardize the trial or the standing charges against Darien. The fact that he is a member of the prosecution team is extremely damaging as you can imagine. But once we get that okay and can avoid a media splash, we're bringing him in."

There was no response though and Steve finally looked and really saw Danny's face. He shifted right in front of him. He had been fine with the initial verbal update but when he saw McNamara's pictures and soaked in the man's posture, thick hands and broad muscular shoulders, he  _shifted_  and changed in an alarming manner.

"Don't." Steve abruptly took the phone away and then gripped his right hand so hard that it hurt, but he didn't entirely understand. "Danny?"

Danny's face had closed off to become distant and brooding; seconds later he had shut his eyes and seemingly retreated into his silent zone. Tied to a chair or tossed in a room with the man, he'd always been defenseless and for some reason, he felt that way now even though Sneakers Two - Mac -  _Brian McNamara, Esquire_  - had been identified and was near to being arrested.

With a dark regret he realized how similar the feelings were to the New Jersey operation where he'd been slapped around more than a few times and his partner, Grace Tillwell, had been murdered right in front of him. Emotions were as high and mixed as remembered pain. Anger and hate mixed with fear, regret and loss. Held against his will and effectively, completely incapacitated. Beaten down without hesitation, the aftermath of which always resulted in some kind of tragic ending. Eyes closed, Danny palmed his forehead and felt his own heated sweat rolling down his face.

Everything came back and it was too fast.

Rick Peterson.  _'It's up to you, D.'_  Hassan Farouk. A narrow red beam of light. Steve's voice as if from a long ago, past tunnel.  _'It's a proximity sensor ...bomb .. detonate .. you and me are both going to die.'_

Trapped and unable to move in an entirely different way. His stomach twisted and he coughed raggedly at another memory he wouldn't mind disposing of. Permanently. Gladly. He had buried some of the ' _bad_ ' too within his determination to hold sacred the good.

' _Monkey_.' Those things were all wrapped around Grace in some way or another and perhaps that was the problem.

Upset with the remnants of the old bitter memories, he barely heard Steve's voice as he drilled the palm of his hand into the space between his eye.

_Friday, June 14th. They'd been waiting to ambush him and they did it with a startling skill Even though he thought he had been duly careful. With a gun to his head and blood already smearing his face, he'd been forced to drive to a remote parking lot Where someone else waited. There had been a violent scuffle in the car .. he had taken a desperate chance to escape .. but something had connected with his head, then his face. Again and again until he could barely breathe. He remembered pain and then glimpses of blood on the dashboard. It dripped down his shirt and then to the Camaro's console where it smeared as they physically hauled him out by his arms and legs._

"Danny. What's wrong? With the proof that Chin has, we'll have him in no time once Denning gives the all-clear."

_"Father's Day. Danny, this is a dumb question and it's last minute ... I know the answer already!" Rachel laughed heartily and the sound still made him smile. "Would you like to switch weekends? Grace wants to be with you for Father's Day and well, she should be. Can you take her to school on Friday...?"_

"It's always the same." The strangled coughed words Steve received in return caught him by surprise. "Borrowed time."

He was standing next to the bed when he forcibly peeled Danny's right hand from his face. Danny's eyes were still closed and he certainly wasn't listening to anything Steve had just said about Chin or McNamara, though McNamara certainly was the trigger for the extreme response. Steve glanced over his shoulder towards the open door to the hospital corridor. A small group of people had walked by and had looked questioningly at the two HPD officers standing guard. Their combined disagreeable expressions quickly moved the group on.

He expected Ramirez or a nurse as the readings on the monitors changed. Seconds later, the doctor did arrive with a look of concern. He saw the stress immediately and realized his patient was deep in a memory and lifted his hand to signal he would wait to see what would happen as he monitored the machines.

"Try to get him through it." Ramirez advised.

"Danny?" Leaning down, Steve whispered urgently to focus his friend. The fever had climbed slightly and Danny's face was flushed as he swallowed hard and mumbled something else he couldn't quite hear. But the complaint about borrowed time was almost frightening. "Danny, where are you right now?"

"Huh?' The reply took much longer than he would have liked and Danny's eyes were unfocused and even a bit haunted when he finally opened them. He was miles and maybe years away as Steve tried again.

"Hey. What's going on? What did McNamara do, Danny." Steve was seconds from allowing Ponch to step in until Danny made a stronger effort to focus.

"What?" Once more, he hadn't really heard more than Steve's voice and was confused by the worry he was confronted with when his vision cleared. So confused, he said the first thing that lamely popped into his mind before yanking his hand out of Steve's grasp.

"I'm fine."

The anger that settled on Steve's face at the automatically stated words was sudden and very real as he turned past a startled Ponch to close the hospital room door.  _Fine_  was the farthest thing that Danny actually was. Steve refused to be mollified by a repeat of the now defensive short statement. The haunted look had flitted through Danny's eyes and he correctly guessed some of the truth.

Ponch's mouth dropped open at Steve's first blunt question.

"What happened that morning? We only found the Camaro abandoned in a lot through the GPS signal."

"I don't remember." Danny's hand buried itself in the bedding as he paled under fevered cheeks.

_The burly man had come up on him early that morning just as he was opening the door to his car to slide in behind the wheel. The first blow to his head caught him by surprise and was meant to stun as his temple ricocheted off the door frame nearest the roof. The second man appeared on the passenger side and he was forced to drive regardless of the blood streaming down his cheek. The first thing he thought of was Grace. He was going to be late picking her up for school. Grace would be late. He was late._

"Yes. You do. So spit it out, Daniel." This was Steve the 'benevolent dictator'. The one who refused to take any answer except the one he demanded to hear. In this case, it was the absolute truth about Danny's abduction that fateful day. He was almost cruel as his eyes bore holes through Danny's face.

"You remember. Friday, June 14th. D. Day." Steve made his demand and then waited after a one-sided heated tirade of his own. He could see that Danny distinctly recalled it as well. The doctor was actively listening and monitoring the heart monitor simultaneously. He bit back a disagreeable sound as he watched certain readings rise but not too dangerously. As yet.

"That was the note and that was the day you went missing. But we didn't know until later that morning when you didn't show up at the Edwards' house to pick up Gracie for school. Rachel had swapped weekends for you .. for Father's Day. What happened and what did Brian McNamara do?"

Ponch's hand settled warningly on Steve's shoulder and he felt the tension there too. He could easily see that Danny was working through a larger issue; he could feel Steve's general reluctance to go there but there was an air of importance.

The three waited silently with two sets of eyes gauging, weighing and measuring the well-being of the third.

It took one added moment of long silence while Danny stared at Steve and then he told him what he remembered. The words spilled out all at once. There were understandable gaps in time. But he told him every detail he could remember of the hooded men, their combined power and well-laid out plan. How Mac and Channing were the two assigned kidnappers and how they picked up Madison in the remote parking lot. That fact was so obvious now.

He described his attempted escape in the lot and his subsequent failure. Beaten unconscious, he woke hours later in a bright room, completely restrained. And then forcibly injected with the first round of strong sedatives, because they didn't stay there long.

"It's how they moved me." Danny explained the obvious and the reason he had practically nothing to offer about places or people. "Whenever they wanted or needed to. That was Madison's job.'

Steve scrubbed his face and then his eyes with both hands. So hard, he saw a smattering of dancing sparkling lights through a ring of black before his vision cleared. A far away look was plastered across Danny's face but it was entirely different now as he pieced together what he remembered.

The doctor had backed discreetly into a corner. Ever watchful, he was stunned by the out pouring as Danny spoke and described details he would never think to store away.

The next location was equally dismal but it was obviously night and it smelled different. It smelled  _wrong_ but he couldn't exactly explain why or how. The sedatives were administered whenever he was to be moved and it was often. This one place though was where he met Sneakers Two for his first private one-on-one session. Hours blurred and the one on one fight sessions added to the confusing swirl of pain and soon there was no day or night. The only thing that had become important was continuing to breathe with the hope of finding or creating one special avenue to escape.

"I never actually saw their faces, but I  _saw_  them and learned them. I learned Mac first and much too well. But Madison always brought the drugs .. always." Danny was barely speaking again and his eyes had dropped to a vacant spot on the floor. Steve gave him another stern shake to prevent another break and to keep him talking.

His glance towards Ponch was returned with a continued, watchful approval. If he administered a sedative it would only be to encourage a gentle rest since Danny naturally quieted. With his energy nearly depleted, Danny lay limply in the pillows as his hand waved through the air to explain his worst fears.

"I almost forgot her. I almost forgot her voice, her laugh and the way her eyes light up at the silliest thing. I almost forgot everything good and I couldn't let that happen." Danny closed his eyes and tried not to relive the feel of his rib being broken by one very well-aimed and deliberate blow.

"I'm sorry, Danno. We weren't smart enough." Anger was now sadness with a great dose of personal guilt as Steve layered another blanket across Danny's legs. He knew it wasn't only McNamara. Frank Madison had also done a significant amount of damage. Each one would pay though. They would pay over and over again until Steve might feel satisfied.

"It shouldn't have happened and we made a mistake. I made a mistake, and then it was too late. We looked everywhere we possibly could. We tore apart every single piece of this island from top to bottom, and then we started over again."

"We couldn't find you because we were looking in the wrong, damned places." The self-recrimination never left Steve's eyes as Danny tried to aim what was supposed to be a very severe finger in his direction. It failed miserably as his hand fell tiredly to his chest but even without the added dramatic effects, he still managed to make his point.

"If I didn't know where I was, then how could you?"

He tried to understand and then he tried to agree, but Steve couldn't get all the way there. As far as he was concerned, what happened to Danny never should have been in the first place. When it came to finding him, if not for the man himself, Danny would have been lost to them - and to Grace - entirely.

Steve paced around the bed as Danny watched him through heavy-lidded eyes. Overall, the visit with Grace and the rest of their family had done him and his daughter so much good.

The verdict was out on if discussing Brian McNamara had been wise though because they were both out of words and emotionally drained. Steve leaned on the lower frame of the bed and hung his head for a moment in an attempt to settle his nerves. When he looked up, Danny was struggling to stay awake and the doctor was silently sneaking out the door. With that as proof of answer, Steve forced himself to relax.

"Get some rest, Danno. We got this." There was the smallest of grins in reply and then one short sentence that Steve heard before Danny did just that.

"I know you do."

It was so simple and yet it bolstered him again. It was completely satisfying. Where Steve might not have agreed before, he certainly did now.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	18. Chapter 18

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Eighteen**

**MONDAY, JUNE 24TH - HAWAII (LATE EVENING - EARLY MORNING HOURS)**

The fight was ugly and dirty as soon as it started and it was difficult to tell who initiated it first though the why was apparent. Pent up angry energy sent Brian McNamara to the gym to work off steam after a long, harrowing day where Alistair Landon seemed to crucify him for the most minor of contrived sins. Thirty minutes of pummeling the bag with a vengeance only served as a warm up, and soon Mac was looking for a worthy sparring partner. He needed a little one on one time, but he didn't know any of the other gym members and only a very few were as hardcore as he.

He left the gym in disgust with other plans in mind to clear his head, yet wound up at a local bar. Sitting alone, he was deep in thought and still stewing about managing his dual roles with Landon's new obvious suspicious nature when he was flanked by two large men. Mac kept his head down knowing it was a setup as each tried to casually slide in next to him and order liquor they likely would never drink.

His complexion labeled him an outsider but his muscular frame seemed to entice trouble almost immediately and it rekindled the anger he had managed to briefly pacify.

"Not in the mood, boys." Mac's eyes were bright though behind the scotch glass he held cocked to his lips. The truth was that part of him welcomed the pending trouble as much as another part warned him about the diligent manner he needed to present himself in the next morning. He knew it would be inevitable as the man to his right laughed heartily and slapped him on the shoulder as if he were his best friend. Yet the slap was more of hit and a definite challenge. Mac accepted by placing his glass carefully down on the cheap square paper coaster and turning completely to face this first man. His response effectively insulted the second man who was forced to get up from the bar stool to stand mockingly behind his big partner. Again, Mac utterly ignored him.

Still seated, he placed his hand on his new adversary's shoulder and drilled his fingers deeply into the man's thick trapezius muscle leaving marks that he knew would bruise the next day. "Oh please. If you're sure, I'd be more than happy to resolve this outside?"

The man was well-built and Mac grinned his approval even though he outweighed him by a good thirty or so pounds. Mac was primed and ready to go from his unsatisfying workout at the gym but his lack of fear and outward aggression startled his new neighbors. He narrowed his eyes at the man's sudden stiffening and then chuckled in disgust.

The way he softly cupped and then patted the instigator's cheek turned the tide as Mac finalized the last taunt. As the man reddened in anger and viciously slapped his hand away, Mac only lengthened his chuckle to a deeper laugh. It was only then he even acknowledged the second man blandly and utterly disinterested in his mere existence.

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Mac turned back to take up what remained of his scotch. The glass missed briefly from his puffed short chuckle but he didn't actually drink this time. "Go home, fellas. Don't waste my time." His very bored tone only added to his obvious disdain.

Thirty minutes later, McNamara was humming a pleasant tune as he drove to the closest emergency room. He was slightly annoyed by the blood dripping from the reopened cheek wound he had sustained on Samoa. His knuckles were swollen and purpling but his contentment surpassed the physical aches. But Brian 'The Ape' McNamara felt  _good_  and he was vibrating with excitement.

Two men were currently sitting in an alley a short block from the bar. One was holding up the other or by now, explaining themselves to the police or even waiting for an ambulance. Their fight had drawn an interested group of locals that had dispersed when the short, stocky Haole toyed with and destroyed their local hero. No other person wanted any piece of the tough, crazy Haole .. though he had asked nicely for any other takers .. he asked right before police sirens were heard approaching.

He had laughed happily when no one dared to step forward only to wave a light good-bye. In the end, in fright, someone had actually called the cops. His only disgust now was that he needed stitches to cover the one tear in his cheek. He was due in court the next morning and needed to minimize what he could for Alistair Landon's sake.

The closest hospital was Tripler. With a wad of white napkins anchored to his cheek, Mac drove himself to the front door and parked his car. For the most part, he told the truth about a tussle with some locals in an alley by a local bar. However, he couldn't remember the name of the place let alone the address downtown. He was sure the guys that had come after him were long gone and he had no way to identify them.

Then he had to wait. He waited for the kid with the broken arm. The lady with food poisoning and then three other more urgent cases as he went through wad after wad of napkins that became paper towels and then finally gauze pads from a kind nurse. Mac's mood was almost foul again by the time a doctor could see him and the had to answer a thousand questions. No, he didn't wish to file a report. No, he didn't get a good look at any of his attackers. That same doctor he gave his brief statement to  _tsked_  over the ten tight stitches and apologized for any scarring even though McNamara refused to see a plastic surgeon.

He applied a slightly larger flesh-toned bandage over Mac's cheek, gave him a prescription for antibiotics and pain medication and then promptly sent him on his way. It was almost two o'clock in the morning and he was desperate for at least a cup of coffee before attempting to drive back to his apartment so he found his way to the TAMC cafeteria.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**MONDAY, JUNE 24TH - HAWAII (LATE EVENING - EARLY MORNING HOURS)**

It was well after midnight and Steve was still at TAMC. He couldn't think of a valid reason to leave after Danny had virtually talked himself out and into sleep. Illness and emotional strain pushed him even deeper, but a few hours later his fever had spiked and so, Steve had stayed as bandages were changed and new fluids were dispensed. At one point, a nurse had come in to wipe down his face and arms with tepid water. When she left for other rounds, Steve had rinsed the cloth and laid it across Danny's face as the heat continued to rise from his body. He remained sleeping despite the activity taking place around him, though at times he seemed restless or agitated.

Nearing two o'clock, Steve woke from his own uncomfortable cat nap. He stretched big and long before getting to his feet and standing over the bed in the dim light to make sure things hadn't changed in the last few hours. Danny's face was lined with discomfort and dotted with sweat, but he was still sleeping which he desperately needed in order to heal. If awake, he knew that Danny would be insisting he go home but he couldn't bring himself to entirely walk away. There certainly was no reason to bother by that time either.

Moving past the two HPD officers, Steve went down to the cafeteria to take a break and rustle up a light snack. Only a few people were there and he ignored them as he went about his business. In the corner by the coffee machine was one lone man wearing a black muscle t-shirt. He noticed almost distractedly, the roughed up condition and the few cuts and bruises on the man's arms. His eyes blandly took note of his height, stocky build and general age. He caught a side view of a bandage on his cheek and the smattering of bruises along his jaw line. Nothing reached his over-tired brain until he turned towards the tall two door refrigerator and selected a large bottle of orange juice. When he closed the glass door, the man's reflection blinked darkly back at him and then Steve whirled around.

He watched as McNamara moved from the coffee carafe to another barely stocked food station. Before he could even think to stop himself, Steve was striding over to confront the dangerous lawyer. He stopped behind him with his right hand balled into a fist and his left strangling the cold bottle. Dumbfounded by the man's impossible appearance, Steve was forcing himself not to overreact with too many things riding on apprehending McNamara flawlessly so that the prosecution team, the trial and Danny's safety remained perfectly intact.

Steve forced his hands to relax though the rest of his body was ready for trouble should McNamara respond badly to his presence. He firmly reminded himself that they had only met one time; just prior to Steve being subpoenaed and that he needed to stay calm. If he continued to believe what Pete Channing swore to, they had become separated and lost touch with each other in the mud slide. He had truly appeared to be stunned to see the news clip featuring Mac in a suit near the courthouse.

 _If_  he were to believe Channing, then each had assumed the other had perished. Steve should expect Mac to not know about Channing or Madison's demise; and he certainly should be unaware about Danny's rescue as Steve watched him idly deciding on choosing a donut from the display case. Steeling his emotions, he saw the fit ex-boxer with his heavy muscular build and strong hands. Under new and older bruises, cuts and scratches, McNamara moved with a fluid strength even as he did the most mundane task.

Standing just a few short feet behind the man, Steve finally addressed him. "McNamara, isn't it?"

It was obvious the lawyer had no idea of his pending fate because when he turned, he recognized Steve and then ...  _smiled_. Steve stood there and then said the only thing that came to his nearly numb mind after the man had the gall to offer some over-friendly niceties.

"Mr. McNamara. What are you doing here?"

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Mac was tired and deep in thought as he used the dispenser to fill the largest insulated coffee cup that he could find on the self-serve line. There were very few people there at that hour and most were doctor's, nurses and a handful of military personnel. He sighed and then winced as the motion pulled on the bandage before deciding on one of the three remaining stale donuts in the display case. Not his favorite snack but his options were woefully limited.

"McNamara, isn't it?"

The lawyer heaved another barely tolerant sigh for the benefit of the person who had wandered up behind him. The only people who could possibly know him were the media or those that actively followed the trial and he'd even been asked for an autograph at one point. Turning around and expecting to hear yet another personal opinion about Allen Darien, he found himself face to face with the head of Five-0. He looked bleary-eyed and a bit disheveled, but McGarrett towered largely over him. His expression was decidedly unreadable though an odd tension raced through his body.

"Commander. I certainly never expected to see you here; I understand that you'll be meeting with Alistair tomorrow to walk through the method of questioning again?" Mac smiled but was equally surprised to see Steve. Of that, there was no doubt at all. The two were immediately playing a game as they watched each other too closely and kept a particular wary distance from the other.

The lawyer took up an arrogant relaxed pose against the metal counter top where his donut now sat in a bag next to his coffee cup. Before crossing his arms, he checked his watch and then laughed. "Well, it's actually today based on this god-awful hour. I guess it's a late night for both of us. I hope there's nothing wrong to bring you to the hospital?"

"Mr. McNamara." The acknowledgment was just shy of being cold and very calculated. The implied tone gave pause to McNamara's forced familiarity and the next question put him completely on guard. The Commander was examining the bandage on his cheek and then dusting of bruises on his chin from a few well-taken blows from the local he had met at the bar. Mac was being weighed and measured in no less a way than he would another boxing opponent.

The air around them was suddenly dangerous and tightly ominous. The cashier had been reading a paperback book and she stopped when she felt the animosity grow. The two men were near the coffee machine but it was even obvious to her that something was decidedly wrong. With an effort, McNamara fidgeted briefly with the lid to his coffee cup when the sharp eyes dropped to the obviously fresh bruises on his knuckles.

"What are you doing here?"

McGarrett's own question wasn't entirely appropriate and Mac's jaw clenched in displeasure at the barely disguised challenge before he managed to take a deep breath. Perhaps he was reading into his own guilt, but his mind was racing through a variety of scenarios. There was no way anyone in Five-0 could link him to Williams' abduction. He had covered his own plus everyone else's tracks skillfully and the Detective had been moved so much, even if there had been one, any trail was long cold to Samoa. Yet, he felt the faint stirrings of an unaccustomed unease.

Mac paused in his mental conjecture and then criticized himself for the odd, neurotic thoughts. Anyone involved directly in the trial knew that the Five-0 Detective had been abducted. Every member of the prosecution team had been coached on the dire situation. The man was rightfully upset and on edge because his friend was missing and would likely wind up dead.

The strong military man maintained that he would do the right thing and so, Mac and Madison had originally been prepared to provide him with one more grim lesson to encourage his silence. None of that would happen now. But he wondered if the Commander felt any fear or experienced any doubt about his coming testimony; hope always reigned supreme one might say. Mac tried to read his face while he hunted for just the right words to offer a subtle type of condolence or at least show a proper concern for the missing officer.

Considering the best way to ask, he answered Steve's question slowly while casually pulling his wallet out to pay the one very unsettled cashier. "I had a bit of an issue tonight with a few locals after working out at the gym."

"They're long gone and I never got a good look." He tapped his cheek near the bandage with a lop-sided shrug. "I needed a few stitches and now a cup of coffee to get myself home. Can I buy you one or that juice there? Treats on me."

The negative shake of McGarrett's head was barely perceptible. He seemed to stop breathing when Mac changed the subject to Danny. "By the way, we're very sorry about what's happened to your partner. Has there been anything of late to help you find him?"

Squaring his shoulders, McGarrett froze in place as his face turned to stone. This time, he didn't bother to hide or stop the reflexive fist that his fingers automatically curled into. His teeth were gritted when he finally found his voice to say one simple word.  **"** No **."**

Steve's training kicked in to keep himself in absolute control. McNamara was arrogant and much too calm. The unexpected question about Danny's welfare had been lobbed with an incredible amount of sympathy and Steve loathed the need to wait. He couldn't help seeing the thick mulish neck and physical damage from years of boxing. One ear didn't quite match the other and the cocked, flattened bridge of his nose was testament to past breaks and injuries. His hands were thick and his wrists led to massive forearms and even bigger biceps.

Mac sighed remorsefully and Steve nearly came unglued at the completely fabricated concern. The strain was more than evident as the Commander loomed closer to the lawyer. "Hmm. I am sorry."

There was something new in McGarrett that brought back that unease and McNamara almost frowned. This time it was much stronger and Mac began to wonder why the Five-0 officer was really at TAMC. He hadn't actually answered his question. Mac found himself dwelling on and replaying the fine-tuned steps of Williams' abduction once more.

With a start, he realized that Alistair Landon's dubious expression and bulldog-like behavior might have indicated something else the prior day. A sixth sense chimed more loudly as McGarrett's posture became even more aggressive and yet, the man remained decidedly silent.

What if something had been discovered? Mac had been assuming that his counterparts and the Detective had simply died in Samoa. The mud slide had overwhelmed them all in seconds of the ground moving and the freight train-like noise bearing down upon them. He had escaped the worst of it by sheer luck. When he turned around to see if Channing or Madison had followed, the small half concrete shed was near to being demolished as it was taken along in the horrifying and other-worldly event. It disappeared in a rush of mud, water and debris as if it never had existed taking the trapped Detective and his two accomplices along with it.

He had accepted that likely outcome and moved on since it made his entire world cleaner. His obscure message to Allen Darien had been met with pleasure and no other instructions had been received. But standing now in front of the clearly aggressive Lieutenant Commander, McNamara's sixth sense was kicking in with an alarming alacrity. For the first time in a long time, Brian McNamara found that he was doubting himself and the perfection of his existence.

"Well, it's late." Mac suddenly felt an urge to leave especially when Steve didn't respond to his explanation or his offer to pick up the tab. Nothing. Not even a half-sympathetic inquiry about the affair. Nothing now to break what had started to feel like a stalemate.

There was zero interest in his described altercation with the locals. No obligatory pleasantries about how he was feeling, The issue was that he was there in the first place; he wasn't welcome and the lawyer read that message loud and clear. He narrowed his eyes while trying to decide how best to conduct himself. Their silence increased and was only interrupted by a woman's voice which finally allowed Mac to saunter over to the cashier who was still closely watching their exchange.

"Commander? I'm sorry to interrupt. May I see you please?"

As Mac shoved the wad of cash at the young cashier, he followed Steve's eye to the nurse that was beckoning to him from the cafeteria's entrance. An HPD officer was standing nearby which was more than slightly strange within the military facility.

Wordlessly, Steve abruptly stalked away to hustle the nurse and officer from the area. Mac saw the nurse's face and the confusion that crossed her features as her mouth dropped open. McGarrett had her by the elbow and was walking so quickly that she stumbled over her own feet to keep up. Then they were gone.

While it only added to Brian McNamara's growing sense of internal alarm, he took the time to wonder about its significance. Because there was a significance and regardless of who or how, he was hardly stupid. He knew now that his game had changed and unease was becoming a stronger apprehension.

His much too long and nearly disastrous day with Alistair Landon held new meaning and Mac briskly walked to the parking lot with new options running through his head. At the top of the list was a startling thought to leave Hawaii .. now. Immediately.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote that last chapter two different ways. The posted version was the first; the second had McNamara as the instigator to an unsuspecting Steve. The end result was the same and I went back/forth on the best version to use. I settled on the first because to me, it showcased Steve in a situation where barely one day has passed since they identified the last criminal. He's been on the go for hours/days. Yet, he's not yet able to do anything about it. In the end, I saw him as the aggressor - mistake or not - it made sense to me for his (emotional) reaction to come first.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Nineteen**

**TUESDAY, JUNE 25TH - HAWAII (EARLY MORNING HOURS)**

Steve moved the nurse quickly away from the doorway to the cafeteria before she could say another word. The HPD officer followed automatically and then helped to steady her when she tripped. He ignored her annoyed, soft curse and allowed her to pull free only when they were well enough away and out of ear shot.

"What was that for?" She complained with her hand against the wall for support. The officer was equally confused by Steve's reaction as he retraced their steps a short distance back to the cafeteria and waited to see if McNamara might follow. Through the open doors, he could see the tell-tale blocky shadow depart through the far exit which would take the man to the parking lot.

Only then did he return his attention to the two people who had obviously searched for him through the halls of the hospital. The nurse was almost defensive with him and waiting for an explanation or at least, an apology. Instead he put his hands on his hips and forced himself to breathe normally versus in time to his adrenalin-ridden heartbeat.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked while multi-tasking in his head and mulling over the confrontation with Brian McNamara. He hadn't thought his actions through and wound up taking a chance. The end result was that the situation had become even more sticky but he was sure now that the lawyer had no idea of a number of things. Channing, Madison, and Danny were no longer on the man's radar. He was cocky, self-assured and evidently not even listening to or aware of the rumors related to the change in venue. In terms of himself, Steve was somewhat taken aback by the man's impressive stature .. in person, McNamara was a very physical, virile man. He was someone you noticed; an athlete who carried himself well and expected to win. He had evidently invited trouble to himself that night and then had  _liked_  it.

In just a few short hours, they were set to meet with Denning, the judge would hasten his right to invoke  _Suo sponte_  but Steve didn't want to wait that long. While he learned much, he knew that he'd also planted an odd seed in the man's own head. The plain fact was that he actually couldn't afford to wait that long and he was practically glaring at the nurse even though he feared her news was about Danny. He never expected to be tracked down to the cafeteria in the middle of the night by a nurse and an HPD officer.

"Is it Danny? What happened? I just left him a few minutes ago and he was sleeping." Steve included the accompanying HPD Officer and then realized the man wasn't of the pair guarding his partner's room. With Channing essentially bedridden, only one officer had been assigned to the criminal's detail until he was to be moved the next afternoon. He stared at the man in annoyance wondering why he'd be away from his assigned post .. with a bloody, fat lip. In fact, both people were rumpled and upset. Before he could ask, the officer was explaining the problem.

"No, it's not Detective Williams ... this has to do with Pete Channing." Answering for the nurse, the officer was embarrassed and nervous as he dabbed at his mouth. "Channing was being assisted to the bathroom when he tried to pull a fast one. We weren't exactly ready for him to try anything with that bum leg of his."

It was then that Steve noticed the nurse had a bruising lump on her forehead and the officer had his weapon, but the holster was unsnapped. "How far did he get?" Steve growled at the man.

"Not very." At that, the nurse rolled her eyes and then winced since it aggravated her escalating headache. "It's what happened when he tried."

No alarms had been raised and the halls were still quiet in the dark of night, so Steve knew that no shots had been fired and the man was still in custody. However, based on the officer's mussed clothing, aggravated self-effacing expression, bruised face and his holster it might have been too close. It added to the drama of the nurse's own fairly minor but quite colorful bump.

"He got to the top of the stairwell and then slipped." The nurse continued in a disgusted tone because the HPD officer had been walking the hallway and visiting at the nurse's station. He'd gotten bored and complacent, then even annoyed when he had to return to uncuff Channing from the bedrail. He was on Channing's good side and not paying much attention when the criminal fisted the loose piece of the metal cuff into his mouth. The metal cut his lip, nicked a tooth while the force had been enough to stun him.

He had fallen to his knee just as Channing pulled the nurse into a choke-hold after a failed attempt to acquire the officer's gun. On the second floor of the hospital, he had seen the stairwell across from his room that very day as he either used a wheelchair or his newly acquired crutches for brief ventures out of bed. Through the window, the green grass and packed parking lot of cars beckoned much too strongly.

Channing was scheduled to be moved to jail the next afternoon and he personally objected to the concept. With one chance left, he had desperately tried to take it when the least amount of people might be out and about. He was holding a fork to the nurse's neck as he edged past the officer. With a stunningly swift move, he had gained enough ground to shove the nurse into his arms. She had fallen sideways and banged her head on the door jamb with the officer momentarily trapped under her upper body.

With one crutch and sickeningly pale from the pain, Channing had miraculously made it to the stairwell. He had opened the door towards his first step towards escape and freedom, and then had slipped on the upper landing.

"It's both our faults actually." The nurse admitted because she too hadn't been on her toes. "He's being prepped for emergency surgery. This time, the damage to his knee is quite severe and he's sustained a concussion."

"That's it?' Steve almost laughed in relief. His level of stress fell back into a more reasonable range based on his selfish concern for Danny's welfare versus that of one of the three criminals. "That's it .. he tried to run and now he's in surgery?"

"Yes, sir." The officer added apologetically. "It will jeopardize when he can be moved and I don't know what the intentions were for his participation in the trial. If any .. but ..now."

With a wave of his hand, Steve turned to leave before spinning back and aiming a finger at the confused HPD Officer. "Do not let this happen again. Understood? You're to stay within five feet of him beginning now and until I say you're relieved of that duty. Five feet."

"Pete Channing is your personal responsibility until further notice." Steve took a few steps closer to read the man's name tag. "Paleo. Five feet at all times. No excuses."

The officer ran his hand through his hair before fastening the clip to his holster. He took Steve's demand quite literally and didn't understand how he could be so close to the criminal based on the current circumstances. His comment made the Five-0 Commander laugh wryly and he completely reddened at that point.

"But, sir. He's in surgery and then will be in recovery for hours."

"I said no excuses." His words became a serious threat as Steve pulled out his cellphone and pointed it as if a weapon. "I suggest you find a way to improvise."

He began to walk away for second time and then stopped to rattle Paleo with yet another order. "While you wait, call HPD and find out if any brawls, fights or muggings were reported tonight downtown particularly near any gyms. I want to know of any that involved haole's. Get me whatever you find out within the hour."

The nurse watched the two men part ways. Paleo was frustrated and beating himself up for his lack of vigilance. The other was doing the same as the weight of Channing, his partner and the trial settled on his shoulders. Rubbing the ache in her head, she walked briskly to catch up to Steve.

"Excuse me, sir?" Steve sighed resentfully when she grabbed his arm. Before the number he had just dialed could connect, he hit the cancel button on his cell phone. He had things to do in order to keep a better eye on McNamara and talking to the nurse wasn't on the agenda. He also was far from presentable for the pending meeting with the Governor. Before he could ask what she wanted, she was drawing attention to his own pale complexion.

"You look like you're next for a hospital bed."

He stared at her in surprise and blinked when his eyes wouldn't focus on her name tag. To help him out, she introduced herself and got to the point. "Christina Hahn. Do you  _ever_  go home or take a break for yourself?"

"I was just doing that when you stopped me." It wasn't exactly the truth as Steve raised an eyebrow at her forthright words. He waggled the bottle of juice in her face and was almost sarcastic until he noticed the trace of pain in her eyes.

"Juice. Cafeteria. Breaking. What about you? He nodded towards the bruise on her temple. "That must hurt."

"It does. I have a headache." Christina agreed and then pulled her car keys from her pocket. "He's not the first patient that taught me a lesson or two. I'm fine but I'm being sent home for the rest of my shift. My opinion is that you should do the same before someone checks you in for a few days. I know you have extra security, and no one is going to get in here to do anything."

Christina meant to soothe him, instead her words made him mad. "One just did." Steve's eyes hardened as he pointed towards the cafeteria where Brian McNamara had just paid and left for his car. Still much too free and potentially without a single care in the world. Steve more than resented needing to allow the lawyer the continued right to walk especially when he had shown up where least expected.

"That man is dangerous and it isn't long for his freedom to come to an end." Just the morning before, no one knew who Brian McNamara was until Danny swore he was the oddly named Sneakers Two. One day. Scarcely twenty-four hours. Steve hoped to arrest him within the next five hours at most if Denning and the judge came through for him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." She looked at him queerly as if begging to know why the heavy-set man hadn't been arrested yet. However, it was clear that Steve wasn't willing or even able to offer more information.

Christina hesitated and shared an awkward goodbye. Steve muttered the same sentiment under his breath as he redialed Chin's number. He would relax later and schedule sleep much beyond that event. Once Danny was safe and McNamara was behind bars with Channing. After the change in venue, assurance of the prosecution team's integrity, and the finality of Allen Darien's trial with his subsequent sentencing. Only  _then_  could he afford to relax.

Watching the nurse leave through a side employee-only exit, Steve focused on the task at hand. He had things to take care of and time was definitely not a luxury.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

McNamara sat in his softly idling company-leased Mercedes where he had originally parked near the Emergency Room as his internal temperature soared. He was not one to run and yet his inner voice was demanding that he take that drastic step. It filled him with a fury and a keen resentment. It spelled the true end of his current existence and he was not willing to so easily give it up without knowing the truth.

"Who do you have in there?" Mac's teeth were gritted as he stared at the brightly lit building. He knew one or two HPD officers that he might be able to ask but it would raise even more suspicion. He sat there for a few more minutes weighing his options and thinking of his father. Other than himself, the elder McNamara was the only person on the face of the earth that Mac felt a modicum of loyalty towards. Because of that, he didn't want to necessarily  _run_.

Sitting quietly in his car, Mac noticed a woman leaving the hospital through a side door. The short sidewalk joined the main but she chose to walk across the grass as a shortcut towards her distant vehicle. His eye naturally followed her silhouette. Hers was the only movement in the dark of night under the few lights but he had recognized her and it solidified a new plan. The corner of his mouth lifted in a sly grin as he checked the backseat of his car. The small bag was still there partly under the passenger seat and hidden by his larger gym bag. He quickly rummaged through it for the small gun, the black hood and zip ties. Easing out of his parking spot, he drove silently towards the unsuspecting nurse.

With a hood roughly thrown over her head and a sharp crack to her chin, Christina Hahn was gone. Her car sat where she had parked it at the beginning of her ten-hour shift. If someone were to look, her keys had fallen under the shadows of the front driver's side tire. Unaware that her manager had sent her home early, her husband wouldn't miss his wife for another four hours.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. moke (rhymes with coke). A very big, very local Hawaiian.
> 
> 2\. lolo. Crazy/nuts.
> 
> 3\. pupule. Insane.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Twenty**

**TUESDAY, JUNE 25TH - HAWAII (EARLY MORNING HOURS)**

Christina Hahn woke with a gasp to find herself firmly tied to a hard-backed chair. The very fact that it was the same chair that Detective Danny Williams had once also sat in, was something she wouldn't know. However, her kidnapper knew it quite well and it pleased him immensely.

He watched her come awake and grinned from where he crouched about five feet directly in front of her. He had positioned her in the sliver of moonlight that was coming through the decrepit and broken windows. Though it was completely unnecessary, he watched her from just outside the band of light in the half-shadows. The hood still covered her face and he watched intrigued as her fingers spasmed first and then her head jolted off her chest. Turning left and the right, she tried to dislodge what covered her face in a frenetic, frightened manner when she found that she couldn't see.

McNamara watched her chest heave when she realized that rope ran across her ribcage and also fastened each ankle independently to each chair leg. Within seconds, she knew that she wasn't going anywhere and was at his whim. Her mewled cry almost surprised him as he continued in his silence and watched her struggle increase until it finally ceased.

Under the hood, her bruise from what had happened in the hospital with Channing had purpled and was undoubtedly painful. The left side of her chin now nearly matched where Mac's one solid blow had effectively snapped her head back on her neck to leave her unconscious for the hour that he had needed to drive to the remote and abandoned apartment building. If she had a headache before, Mac was sure that Mrs. Christina Hahn of 20 Halawa Place now had one of monstrous proportions made worse by pain, stress and escalating fear.

He had considered the few questions he would ask her long and hard. He had limited time to find out what he was dealing with. Still in his black muscle t-shirt and looking every bit as if he'd just walked out of a gym, McNamara was now in lawyer-mode. His cross-examination of the nurse would be quick and particularly specific.

Rising silently from his crouched position, Mac simply got to the point and she shuddered in fear as his voice boomed suddenly to break the silence.

"You'll answer yes or no unless I demand otherwise. Do you understand?"

At first Christina couldn't reply for her blind terror until he shouted at her to break her frozen brain. Clapping his hands together twice, Mac repeated himself loudly.

"Hey! Pay attention!" She burst into tears immediately but managed a ragged  _yes_. "Good. If you refuse to answer at any time, I know it's cliche, but you will not live to regret it. Do you understand?"

He clapped his hands again when she took too long to respond. "Yes. Okay, yes."

"McGarrett and HPD are providing security to people associated to the Allen Darien trial." Hahn nodded and then quickly remembered to voice her yes before he could ask a second time.

"Do you know the name Madison? Frank Madison."

Christina sniffled and then shook her head after a short pause. "No."

"Do you know the name Channing?" Her pause was slightly longer before her head jerked and she nodded.

"Yes. I know his name."

"Is he the reason you came looking for McGarrett in the cafeteria?" Again, she nodded before speaking and heaved in a shattered tearful breath. She barely registered that the man had to be the one the Commander had warned her about and she drew blood as she bit her own lip.

"Yes."

"Good." He stared at her with narrowed eyes and then made himself clear. "The next question requires that you provide me with precise details. Why were you looking for McGarrett as it pertains to Channing?"

Her chest was heaving again as she fought tears and panic. Her fingers were scrabbling at the arms of the chair while she tried to find the words in her numb mind. "He .. he tried to escape .. and he fell badly. Officer Paleo and I were obligated to inform Commander McGarrett that he'd been taken in for emergency surgery."

"What's wrong with Pete Channing?"

Beneath the hood, Christina's eyes were vainly searching against the darkness from left to right. "He came in with a dislocated knee and when he tried to escape, he fell in the stairwell. The ortho said he dislocated it again and damaged the supporting tendons. He also has a severe concussion."

"Came in  _when_  .. and how exactly?" Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew she was petrified under the hood. The fabric around her nose and mouth was sucked in and out as she panicked and shook her head as if she didn't know what he demanded.

"I don't know. Sometime this weekend. Maybe Saturday." Christina moaned in fear because she didn't know anything more to tell the man. "Doctor Ramirez is in charge of his case."

McNamara was a master of deceitful questioning and often laced his questioning routine with fabrication. He was going to use that tactic now as his tone changed and he offered her a slight reprieve. "Alright, Christina. I believe you and you're doing a good job."

His voice slightly softened when he used her name because she was cooperating and he wanted her to know that he believed her so far. All of which was part of the ploy to get more information because as a lawyer, there were certain things he could readily assume about process. He also knew Pete Channing well enough to know the younger man had no backbone. He would put words in her mouth and then see if she back-pedaled or panicked when pushed harder.

"Channing now won't be moved to jail as planned. Though he's been read his rights, there will be a delay with his sentencing until he's healthy enough for transit. Is that right?"

Christina was nodding in agreement to each comment and now Mac narrowed his eyes understanding entirely that the nurse might actually not know the answer to his next question. "His plea bargain for a lesser sentence for kidnapping and attempted murder of an officer of the law will implicate Allen Darien and other members of his group."

He stressed the word ' _attempted_ ' and then raised his eyebrows when she continued to nod. So Channing had flipped and Williams was indeed, alive. "So Channing has agreed to some sort of plea bargain to lessen his sentence?"

"Yes. I think so." Christina was trembling as she her kidnapper's questions became even more pointed. Afraid of making a mistake, tears were streaming down her face.

"At least, that's what the rumor is .. he's going to do something like that. I'm just a nurse! I don't know things like that! The police were talking in the hall and I think I heard them say something .. that he was going to give a full statement."

"Hey!" He ignored her teary outburst and she shivered in fear when he clapped his hands together sharply to bring her focus back to the questions. Her breath came in short shattered gasps as a pang of fear settled in her chest.

"Enough! Listen to me and answer this next question!" There was nothing in the empty lobby of the rundown apartment building except the sounds of her ragged, hiccupped crying. It echoed and seemed louder than it really was.

"What are Detective Danny Williams' injuries." Mac's voice was dangerously low as he prodded her with a very important question.

"He's not on my floor." The nurse was crying again but she had just confirmed what Brian McNamara needed to know. He was so angry that he couldn't find a way to be pleased with his success at pulling the information out of the terrified woman.

"Williams is alive." His growled statement had her trembling even more and she jerked reactively against the tight ropes. "How badly is he injured?"

"He .. I think .. he has a broken wrist. Something about a head injury." She sobbed as she struggled to remember anything she had heard about the ailing detective.

"I'm sorry, I don't know exactly."

McNamara muttered angrily under his breath. In custody, Channing would now prove to be his most dangerous relationship; his and Allen Darien in collaboration for the kidnapping and the attempted murder of the Five-0 detective. Mac knew the younger man would talk without reservation to save his own skin. It would be a short-term survival tactic. Once Darien found out, any number of life-ending 'accidents' could and would be arranged once Channing hit whatever jail he would be incarcerated in.

And he, Brian McNamara, would be next so that Allen Darien could prove his own justifiable point regarding the epic failure.

He paced briefly, half aware now that dawn was beginning to rise on the horizon. The chair that the nurse sat tied to was almost free of the moon beam but the entire space was brightening and he had no trouble seeing her tremble.

"Do you know Brian McNamara?" This final question was loaded and he measured her physical reaction before she even opened her mouth.

"Yes, I know his name." His expression darkened dangerously and he flexed his fingers into fists. He glowered at her when she added what else she knew with a whimper "But only from television."

"What does that mean? Explain." He pushed one final time to be sure and then was satisfied with her answer.

"I only heard his name .. on the news reports .. he's one of the trial lawyers." Christina sniffled and then shook her head as fear mounted again. "That's all. Just the name about the trial."

McNamara paced in a complete circle around the trapped nurse. He knew everything that he needed to be aware of; his own question was a simple 'now what'. He hadn't been arrested and that was confusing, but he didn't doubt for a minute that it was soon to happen. They were building a case against him and collecting evidence.

The space became eerily quiet again as Mac stared out the broken windows. It was getting lighter outside too and time was becoming his most critical issue. He needed to make a decision and act on it before all his avenues of escape were slammed shut. He was still free and that was a critical fact. He stared back at the nurse who was still sobbing softly and once again moving about in her bonds.

He didn't need her anymore and her only value now would be as a live hostage. He smiled to himself because she didn't actually need to physically be with him in order to be touted as one. No one had found the detective and no one would find the nurse without his express directions. Because of the remote location, it was an interesting truth.

No more words were said to the frightened woman as Mac turned and left her sitting exactly where she was. He got in his car and drove back to his apartment to change and pack a small bag. He never heard her screaming about being left alone in the musty building. He never heard her broken screams for help which only echoed back to her in the cavernous ruin.

He would leave and if they tried to stop him, the life and safety of one Mrs. Christina Hahn would be the bounty.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

He was taking a long vacation without cell phones, radios or televisions. A full seven-days unplugged from every means, modes and mechanical methods where he might be torn away from a true peace. Steve swore that he would once this whole affair had been put to bed. He was running on fumes and there were simply too many things intertwined and dependent upon another. They would be meeting with Denning in about three hours time and he knew that he simply could not afford to stand idle when it came to McNamara.

After Christina Hahn left the hospital early, Steve's call rang through once and was picked up on the beginning of the second ring. "Chin. Sorry buddy, but I need you personally on something right now."

He explained his interaction with Brian McNamara and then sent Chin to locate and tail the man relentlessly. It was directly against what Denning had cautioned but at that point, it absolutely needed to be done. Just the day before, Steve had argued with the Governor about surveillance. They had compromised on notifying the federal authorities and airlines so that Brian McNamara would be automatically detained should he attempt to leave the Hawaiian islands. Now, Chin and Kono would be planted in the man's back pocket.

"I'm sure he suspects something, but go directly to his apartment first."

Steve needed to get ready for the meeting with Denning too. Rather than the elevator, he took the stairs to Danny's floor to get the rest of his things and to leave word with the officers on duty as well as the nurse's station. He had downed half the bottle of juice but nearly dropped what was left when he entered Danny's hospital room. What he didn't expect to find was his partner perched on the side of the bed with yet another nurse softly arguing with him. She had a hand placed firmly on each of his shoulders as he leaned forward awkwardly with his left foot painfully arched on the floor.

"I need to get out of here." Danny had hauled himself to a sitting position while maneuvering his legs off the bed. His feet were bandaged and his face flushed with fever. His broken wrist sat on his lap but that would be as far as he could possibly get, he had a plan though as he demanded a wheelchair. "I need air or ... something. Why won't you help me?"

"Danny, it's barely dawn." Steve strode into the room to change places with the nurse. The leads to the heart monitor were on the floor and he noticed that the machine was now off. The oxygen mask had also been tossed aside.

"It's the fever." The nurse whispered. "The doctor on duty is on his way. He won't lay back down."

"Steve." Danny's right hand grappled for Steve's shirt as he tried to pull himself up and winced at the pain caused by the broken rib. He was immediately frustrated when Steve refused to let him get off the bed and was too weak to fend for himself.

"You're not going to help either?"

"Always, Danno. You can count on that." He corrected Danny firmly while leveraging more of his body on the mattress which allowed the nurse to untangle blankets and bedding. Getting in his face next, Steve insisted that Danny try to relax.

"But you need to sleep right now. It's dark out and not the time for a walk. What happened anyway? Is something wrong?"

Danny's face fell through a series of emotions and then his mouth slammed shut. He let go of Steve's shirt to rub his forehead. He had half-woken dazed and confused by the shadows in the room because he was sure that someone was there with him. His eyes were still unfocused as he looked at Steve. No one had helped him yet but at least Steve would believe him. However, he didn't know what to say or how to explain what had happened.

His loss of words and silence at first worried Steve and he found himself giving Danny a small shake. He seemed to be retreating again and sinking away from what was happening around him.

"Hey, no .. don't go there." It took a few more stressful minutes for him to look at Steve. Then he seemed to take note of the two HPD officers, nurse and where he was in general. "Danny, do you remember where you are? Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"Hospital. Tripler with Ramirez." There was a short pause as Danny nodded and his eyes sharpened slightly. "Mac was here."

The color drained completely from Steve's face at the three words and he drilled his fingers almost painfully into Danny's shoulders. It was his turn to be at an utter loss of words as he stared hard into his partner's eyes.

"You believe me, right? He was here. I saw him." Danny frowned as rubbed his forehead even harder. He didn't feel well and now that he was waking more, the remnants of the feeling and the dream were both fading. "Maybe. I think he was, anyway."

"What! He couldn't have been!" He hissed under his breath as Danny shook his head and then shrugged in doubt. "Maybe .. maybe a dream."

But almost fearfully, Steve glanced over his shoulder to the two officers in the hallway. "Was anyone in here? Other than hospital staff?"

They each shook their heads and the nurse confirmed it. "No, there's been no one on the floor or in this room without reason to be here."

"Okay." Steve turned his attention back to Danny who wobbled tiredly under his hands. His face was pinched and extremely confused as he sighed and shook his head once more.

"I was sure he was here." The whisper was soft and riddled with doubt. He would never willingly relax until his over-active mind was put at ease. Somehow though, Steve believed that Danny had sensed the man's presence in the building and so he nodded while firmly lifting Danny's legs and pushing him back into the pillows. The nurse was quick to assist by propping his feet on the pillows and fixing the bedding.

"He was." Danny whispered as he searched Steve's face and saw the stern expression. He was an odd combination of rattled, ill-tempered and darkly serious which gave Danny a startling answer.

"Mac was here?" His own eyes cleared a bit at his success when Steve again nodded and then provided him with just enough information.

"Downstairs in the Emergency Room. But not  _here_  ... not on the floor or in this room. In fact, he doesn't know you're here at all, Danno. He got into a fight with a couple of locals on the street and he needed a few stitches."

"I knew it." Danny was blinking his eyes rapidly as the nurse raised the bed and shoved pillows more comfortably under his neck and shoulders. Steve sucked in a lungful of air as the nurse re-attached the heart monitor and then the oxygen mask. Danny was exhausted and fighting sleep now; so he gave him a few more encouraging words to push him over that edge.

"He's left the property but Chin and Kono are in his back pocket. Literally." A small ghost of a smile crossed Danny's features as he melted into the bed. His eyes were closed but his finger came up warningly and Steve grinned at the demand before answering.

"Yes, they both know to be careful and in a few hours we'll bring McNamara in. We're just waiting on Denning's say-so." The nurse firmly pulled all the side rails up on the bed and then smiled her thanks as her patient completely relaxed after she administered pain medication into his IV line. Before he left, Steve put his hand on Danny's shoulder to give him his own warning.

"Stay in bed, Danno. Get some sleep and we'll all be back soon. There is no way he's getting in here. Trust me on that." There was another twitch under the oxygen mask which he took as full agreement. Danny was sleeping by the time Steve turned to leave. Only now, he come face to face with the doctor on duty who was smiling his approval. He had witnessed more than half the exchange and was pleased by the final outcome.

"We'll call you if anything changes, but he should sleep for the rest of the morning."

"Thanks, Doc." Exhausted by the ongoing conflicts, Steve made his way out the door and felt obligated to remind his two HPD officers of their job. "Neither of you are to leave this room for any reason."

The sky was brightening outside and he had just a few short hours to get ready for Denning's meeting. His intent was to just get home, shower and change into something more presentable. Then he would triple-check his gear with great joy. The thought sparked his adrenalin because they'd finally be in the clear to arrest the lawyer.

Ten feet down the hallway and about to thumb the elevator, his phone vibrated and he groaned to himself.

"Paleo. What did you find out?"

He listened in silence as Paleo shared the information provided by two moke locals who admitted to antagonizing an out of place haole at a bar near a gym downtown. The tides had turned on the two men unexpectedly and after a nasty alley fight, one man was at Queens with a fractured jaw, damage to his spleen and three broken ribs. The haole had left before the police arrived to investigate and break up the fight. However, their description of the white middle-aged male matched that of the t-shirted muscle-bound Brian McNamara down to the expensive name-brand sneakers on his feet.

"This guy's friend said that he'd never seen anybody hit the way this white guy did. The locals called the cops because even after their man was down and begging for mercy - he continued to beat on him. They said he was lolo,  _pupule_  and laughing the entire time."

"McNamara." Steve breathed out under his breath. "Good work, Paleo. Stick close to Channing; no one in or out." By the time he got to his truck, his phone was ringing again and this time he punched his steering wheel in an all out anger as his adrenalin kicked back in with a vengeance. Chin was at the apartment building and there was no sign of the lawyer.

"He's not there? Are you sure?"

 _"I'm sitting here, Steve. He should have pulled in before us."_  Chin was at McNamara's apartment complex. He had left his motorcycle on the street and then walked through the darkest corners to take a position where he could see the street and main entrance. Kono was parked no more than one block away in her own vehicle and monitoring the lawyer's banking and online activity with no luck.

_"His car is definitely not here. Kono's had a program running usage on his debit and credit card. Nothing there yet either."_

Chin had already instructed HPD to be on the look-out for McNamara or his leased Mercedes. They were not to approach the man nor his vehicle but to contact Five-0 immediately upon sight. With nothing to do until they located him, at that point they could only wait and watch.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	21. Chapter 21

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Twenty-one**

**TUESDAY, JUNE 25TH - HAWAII (EARLY MORNING HOURS)**

"There you are." Chin muttered under his breath as the blue Mercedes finally appeared in the apartment's parking lot. Almost two hours had gone by and both he and his cousin were near to giving up their posts. They were intentionally going to miss the meeting with the Governor per Steve's orders. He would attend the seven o'clock meeting alone and communicate their next steps as soon as he was able.

"Got him." He breathed the update to Kono who was still sitting in her car at the end of the block. He smiled at her muffled sarcastic response though they were both relieved that the lawyer had finally shown up.

He was inordinately pleased to watch the man park his company-leased Mercedes in what would be his assigned numbered spot. When McNamara got out, he was dressed in the same workout clothes that Steve had described and the only bag he was carrying was also gym related. It was barely six o'clock and the sun had come up brightly. It had forced Chin to retreat further back into the low shady cover along the side of the large apartment building. What he would do now was risky as other residents started to leave the building for their jobs.

Chin held a small black bag in his gloved hand as he crouched in the shadows and counted the security cameras. There were two that needed to be blinded before he could get about his business. Brian McNamara had never met Chin Ho Kelly and regardless, would never suspect a motorcyclist as a potential threat. However, Chin was visiting with distinct ulterior motives. An aerosol can was removed from the bag and Chin sprayed the camera lens of one and then the other intrusive security cameras.

Voices echoing from the sidewalk had him hiding again as he waited to time his next move. His phone vibrated when Kono's message came through and the text was short and sweet.  _"1-way 2 Belize via LA. Noon. 1685._ "

"That's a late departure." Chin muttered suspiciously under his breath. The first thing Brian McNamara had done upon arriving home was to book a flight. He grinned at Kono's devious nature as he got to work to limit McNamara's ability to be mobile. She would already be advising Steve and contacting the right authorities at the airport just in case he got that far. It would never happen though.

He took that second chance as three friendly neighbors tossed their garbage into a nearby dumpster and then parted ways for their own vehicles. Once they had disappeared and the parking lot had once again quieted, Chin's small penknife easily penetrated each tire on the fine blue Mercedes.

What Chin didn't realize was that his gut instinct was very correct. His suspicion that something might be a bit off based on the timing of the flight was valid because Brian McNamara was in the process of leaving out the back door. After making the online reservations, he hastily freshened up and changed his clothes. He had booked the very first flight that seemed reasonable based upon availability and then international distance.

However, the safe in the bedroom closet held $10,000 cash and that money was now stowed in his emptied gym bag with his passport, credentials for an alias and two new credit cards. A spare prepaid cell phone followed and Brian McNamara was briskly walking down the street to hail a taxi to the docks. He planned to take the first inter-island ferry to Maui where Allen Darien's private jet was sitting idle. It would be an excruciatingly long three and half hour block of time but offered him complete anonymity.

His best bet was that the mobster lacked the most current information and he'd be able to discuss flight plans with the pilot. He would offer him half the cash for a one way flight from Kahului Airport on Maui to Honshu, Japan. From there, he would disappear.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**TUESDAY, JUNE 25TH - HAWAII (MORNING HOURS)**

Even though he was finally out bed and the team had received the all-clear to bring in Brian McNamara, Danny wasn't remotely happy. He stared silently from Steve to Chin and then worriedly shook his head about their plan. It didn't matter that they had no choice because they were probably very correct in their assumption. His bandaged feet were propped on the wheelchair's footrests and a blanket covered his lower legs. His wrist was in a sling and he was obviously stressed and not feeling well.

"Maui? Are you sure?" As ill as he was, it was no lie that he wanted to go with them. Unable to walk for days yet to come and shivering from the ongoing fever brought on by the stubborn infection, Doctor Ramirez was monitoring his health as the conversation dragged on.

"We're positive." Chin said as he fixed his tac-vest with an unconscious fidget. "It's the only place he could have gone with how we have everything locked down. He's smart, laying just the right amount of false trails, and yet not really wasting much time in his plans."

Steve nodded in agreement. "He's had this planned out for some time in case things tanked."

"He's going to get away isn't he." Danny closed his eyes and sunk further into himself. Sick, tired and depressed at their news, Brian McNamara was only closer to maintaining his freedom. And now one of the TAMC nurses was missing and no one knew where she was or even if she were still alive. Chin glanced uneasily towards Steve. If anything, Danny looked even worse than he had the day before as he sat limply in the wheelchair. He was still much too thin and the ongoing pressure was wearing on him.

"Absolutely not." Steve spat out the words as he rested his fingers into the folds of his vest. They were ready to go and itchy to leave but after an interesting meeting with Pete Channing, they had needed to explain things to their friend before moving forward.

"Channing spilled everything, Danno. He gave us a list of the locations they used here and then told us about the private jet on Maui."

Steve blatantly ignored the half amused rough sound emanating from the big doctor who was standing nearby.  _Gave_  wasn't actually the appropriate word when it came to what Channing provided so willingly to the two Five-0 men. He was now heavily sedated in the ICU as he recovered from a stressful and ill-timed interrogation at their hands. With one of their favorite own missing, Doctor Ramirez and all of TAMC had turned their heads at certain tactics. The criminal hadn't been physically touched in any way, but Steve's methods were less than understanding of the man's recent surgery and touchy condition.

After meeting with Denning, the judge had come through to put the trial on hold with his demand to change venue. The press release would be officially prepared to place all onus on the high court versus either side. The fifteen minute conference call with Alistair Landon to share that news had revealed more of the lies spread by Brian McNamara. The brief conversation had naturally included his employee's pending arrest but perhaps not so oddly, Landon had understood and was standing behind Five-0 to add to the allegations.

Landon's diligent administrative assistant had found no proof of a car accident in L.A. that included McNamara. There was no reports of a hospital visit and the nursing home swore that the same man had not been to their premises in the last thirty days. With his suspicions increasing, Landon already had his team reviewing all of McNamara's work and a few startling gaps were beginning to become apparent. He was simultaneously livid at Kono's findings that placed McNamara on Samoa, and mortified by his psychotic behavior.

The team was now clear to bring the man in. However, when Chin and Kono converged on McNamara's apartment, they found him long gone. The only evidence that he had recently been there was the pile of gym clothes in the bathroom, a few damp towels, the open door to the now empty safe, and a scattered pile of clothing in the closet.

Thirty minutes later, Steve's direct line was ringing and Officer Paleo's distressed voice was explaining how Nurse Christina Hahn was missing without a trace. It was at that point that  _Sneakers One_  or Pete Channing became their only available resource and he was used within an inch of his life.

"Kono and HPD are checking each and every one of those locations now for Christina Hahn. I guarantee that we will find her, Danny." Chin didn't finish the thought because they didn't exactly know how they would find the pleasant nurse. Her husband had called the hospital when she didn't come home on time or respond to his phone calls. When the nursing manager explained that she'd actually been sent home hours before, her husband had driven over to the hospital only to find her car where she had parked it and her keys dropped under a tire.

David Hahn had stormed frantically into the hospital and Officer Paleo had gotten involved to inform Five-0 of the startling kidnapping and events had only gotten worse with every passing second. HPD and the team were now dealing with a kidnapping on top of everything else with the unpredictable lawyer.

"He could be traveling with her and then you have a hostage situation." Danny quietly pointed out. "Or, she could be dead already."

Both Steve and Chin agreed as Ramirez's face hardened at the various scenarios laid out for one of his best colleagues. Needing to move fairly quickly and in a much too public way, the odds were that he'd left Christina behind as a preference.

"Kono will find her." Chin repeated more for the doctor's benefit. "She or Duke will contact us as soon as they do."

"And not getting McNamara is simply not an option anyone will accept." Steve was furious as Danny wilted in front of them and he swore that Brian McNamara would not be allowed such an easy escape. Once again a much too quiet attitude had taken a hold over the more usual outgoing one.

"They moved you by boat to Maui and then used Darien's private jet to get you to Samoa. We're not sure how he's traveling, but our best odds are that McNamara is on his way there right now and very much alone. He wants that jet and it's his only viable option."

"We need to go." Chin tapped his watch. He and Steve had to get on their way as they wrapped up their conversation. They would borrow Kamekona's helicopter for the trip to Kahului Airport and intercept the jet to bring in McNamara. Shaking his head again because they were right, Danny was forced to sit by and wait.

Doctor Ramirez was standing protectively behind Danny as he caught Steve's eye before he strode away down the corridor. He could read the tone and see the promise again in Steve's carriage. Chin had also stopped in the hallway and he was a silent, solid mirror image of the taller man.

McNamara wouldn't get far. But trapped in a chair and much too ill, he felt useless to help and Steve gave him a distinctly pointed look. He then hesitated briefly and shot Danny a genuinely cocky grin. "Hey. We're both gonna book em this time,  _Danno_."

Chin's smile transformed the serious expression for a split second before he was back in his role. Steve had drawled Danny's name on purpose and both were relieved to get at least a sketchy smile in return. As he caught up to Chin, Steve didn't care if he booked Brian McNamara or needed to call Doctor Max Bergman for a body bag. Chin felt the same because regardless of the man's final end-state, he would not get away. Nothing stood in their way.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Almost an hours drive away from the downtown district, Sergeant Duke Lukela and Kono Kalakaua were shoulder to shoulder as they carefully approached the third identified location on Pete Channing's list of possible hideouts. The first two had been disappointingly empty though they should have known that finding Christina Hahn would not be so easy. Location number one was more of a large, overgrown lot that was half blacktop and half tall weeds or scrub brush.

Kono had been in a temper as she kicked a rock across the open space. They had been to the spot before and even Duke seemed mad. "This is where you found the Camaro."

It was a statement and Kono choked out a disgusted laugh before answering him. She had realized where they were headed less than half way there. "Yeah, it is. There's nothing here, let's move on."

The second location used to be a mechanic's garage and it brought them on a straight line out even farther towards the north shore. Each location built on the next as they jack-rabbited a few miles out for each methodical move. Tertiary roads were poorly maintained and little used but there was always a planned route to a major highway within two or three miles of the address.

"Damned smart." Kono muttered to herself as they drove out to the third. The blacktop had ended for a dirt track and it took them a careful two-mile traverse to finally end at what would have been a cul-de-sac for a low two-building apartment complex. This third location was only half completed with the disintegraitng remains of berms and curbs with partial sidewalks.

It had been abandoned less than half-way through construction due to drainage issues, various community complaints and a myriad of very challenging environmental problems. The developer had eventually run out of money, time, patience and so had cut losses to abandon the problematic property.

The odor from stagnant rain water and nearby swampy lands was noxious and Kono wrinkled her nose in disgust. Other than the potential for a stunning ocean view on the westerly side and a lush, green mountain view towards the north-east, the acreage had nothing to offer.

She motioned to the four other HPD officers to split into pairs in order to surround what appeared to be the remaining main portion of the complex which was near to falling in upon itself. She and Duke went directly to what would masquerade as a front door and peered carefully inside.

"Duke!" Kono pointed and then tapped her device to advise the other teams. "We have our target. Approaching now. Stand by and be alert."

In front of them and in the middle of what would be a lobby was a lone figure fastened to a strong, metal chair. Based on the white shoes and what they could see of her clothing, they had found Christina Hahn. With her head bowed and covered in a black hood, there was no way that either Kono or Duke could tell if she was still breathing.

"Going in." Kono whispered as she and Duke skirted the edges of the large hall ensuring that no unforeseen surprises existed. "It's clear." Duke nodded in kind and then voiced the same in a deep whisper.

"Same here. Clear."

"Christina!" From a protective alcove, Kono spoke in a normal voice and was instantly relieved when the nurse's head shot up. "Five-0. HPD. Christina Hahn?"

"Yes. Please help!" The woman immediately sobbed in relief as both Kono and Duke jogged forward under the protection of four HPD officers. On her knees in front of the nurse, Kono whipped off the hood as Duke cut the tight ropes from the chair. Christina's eyes were reddened from tears and her face was blotchy from heat and stress. Her relief at seeing Kono and members of the Honolulu Police Department almost made her faint on the spot.

"It's okay." Kono rubbed her arms soothingly as Duke cut away the last of the thick restraints. She was trembling and fresh tears were running down her cheeks. "You're going to be fine, Christina."

Seconds later, the nurse was enveloped in Kono's arms and crying hysterically while Duke demanded an ambulance and another officer ran to a car for his emergency aide kit.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what the hangar at the Maui airport is really like; so the description is based on some facts about hangars in general, but utterly contrived. I don't know anything about Tripler either - so there may or may not be a nice inner courtyard. ;-) If there isn't one, maybe there should be!

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Twenty-two**

Prior to leaving, Chin had plunked a new cellphone into Danny's lap with instructions to wait for Kono's call. It was an intended physical connection between the sterile hospital room and what was being done outside its walls. Any incoming calls or text messages would take time though, so Danny resorted between staring out the window and the clock. His breakfast tray was delivered, food was investigated and pushed around more than actually eaten before it was studiously ignored for the most part.

The morning dragged on and he was still sitting quietly in the wheelchair when Ellen Ramirez hobbled up behind him on a pair of crutches. Her ankle had been operated on and would heal to leave her only with a very subtle limp. Sneaking up on him, she balanced the crutches against the wall before placing a hand on either of his shoulders to lean over and give him a warm kiss on the side of his cheek.

"Hey! Surprise. I came to visit!" She had been released on Monday and sent home to recover. But Ponch had dutifully kept her appraised first of Danny's condition and now of Christina Hahn's missing status. Refusing to remain alone at the house, she had insisted he bring her that morning so she could be more involved. Now seeing Danny's forlorn silhouette where he sat staring out the window of his room, Ellen was very glad that she had. Her whisper held a smile and he was truly surprised to see her for the genuine happy grin which replaced a much too pensive frown.

"Ellen!" Danny hadn't seen her since their desperate time in the jungle when on the run from Madison and he grabbed her fingers off his shoulder, laughing when she hopped around on one foot to sit on the narrow window ledge. A cellphone sat idle in his lap next to his casted wrist and he glanced to both before smiling again and asking about her ankle.

"So?" He pointed to the cast which overwhelmed her foot up to her knee. The bruises around her neck were also still visible, but now fading to a lighter shade of yellow. "How's that doing and how are you feeling?"

"Me? I'm fine .. this little break won't keep me down for long." She was measuring him well enough though to pick out the fever in his eyes and uncomfortable expression as he tried to reposition himself in the chair. His chest obviously ached and his feet were awkwardly cumbersome until they healed a bit more to hold his weight.

"Ponch says you can be discharged once this fever breaks and he gets a better hold on the infection. Then a walker instead of this lousy wheelchair." Danny nodded unconvincingly before gesturing towards the tray of food off to the side.

"That and he's a demonic two-headed menace when it comes to food."

"He's only a two-headed menace when you argue with him. You need to eat and you know it. Don't look for any sympathy from me, buster." Ellen shrugged with every intent of compounding what her stern husband had instructed.

"We both understand that you don't feel well but Ponch has been known to use feeding tubes at the drop of a hat. And the truth is Danny, one more day of this and you won't be far off that decision being made for you. It's been days since you've had a normal meal and you've only picked at what has been brought upstairs. You're never going to get your strength back if you don't dig in and get over this obstinate, stubborn, self-absorbed kick that your on."

He stared at her aggravated face in a stunned silence which only made her shake her head in frustration. She had to remind herself that they'd both barely been back in Hawaii for three days. Saturday had been a race against the clock and where she had been operated on Sunday, Danny had finally stabilized. Monday had marked a significant improvement with a move to a private room. Then a terribly worrisome corner had turned as her husband had so described Grace's remarkably healing visit with her father.

It was now only Tuesday and he was still very weak and barely out of the ICU himself. His team was on a mission and he was stuck in a wheelchair or a bed. She still fretted though over his attitude and then rubbed his shoulder soothingly. "What's wrong? I thought you were past some of this after you saw your daughter and your memory came back?"

"I don't know." He did though as he sat leaden in the chair and dropped his eyes to his lap to study the square shape of the cellphone. It was obvious that he was distracted by whatever it was his team was involved in so, Ellen hopped off the ledge with one foot and then maneuvered herself to the back of his chair.

"We won't go for long because I can tell you're hurting already." Danny's complaints were instantaneous as she began a slow, hop-push of his chair out of the room and into the corridor. It was futile for him to be anything but a passenger as she managed to aim them both towards the nurse's station.

"Ellen? What do you think you're doing?" Her chuckle made him bite back a smile as she pushed him crazily forward. A near miss of a parked gurney had them both laughing. "This isn't working well. Where are we going?"

The two HPD officers standing outside Danny's room slowly followed in confusion. "Uh, excuse me?" One cleared his throat in askance, but another deep voice got their attention before they could get any farther from the room.

"I'd like to know the very same thing." Ponch's voice boomed directly behind them. "What's this about?"

"We're going outside to sit in the sun and to get some fresh air, Alphonse. I need a bit of help though." One HPD officer looked to the other but before they could object, the big doctor was again intervening. He nodded in approval to the two men and then never hesitated as he waved down another nurse.

"Are you now?" Ponch eyed his wife who was balanced on one foot behind the wheelchair. "Fine. But my way .. I don't need my favorite wife to rebreak a perfectly set ankle." She grinned while patiently waiting for his decision but rolled her eyes dramatically at the excessive hen-pecking demands when the nurse walked over.

"Get me Marco, another available volunteer or nurse's aide, plus a second wheelchair." Other requirements were established as Danny became the unwilling topic of conversation. Ponch was gesturing to his IV and then checking the time for his next round of pain medications.

"These two fine gentlemen will tag along for thirty minutes and no more; I won't be having things overdone so quickly." Without a say in the matter of his own short destiny, Danny was watching them in amusement until his cellphone vibrated and he immediately pounced on it.

"Kono? Do you have any good news for us?"

Doctor Ramirez and Ellen instantly quieted and the nurse that had been instructed to find Marco paused in the hallway. She lingered within earshot to see if the officers had learned anything about the missing TAMC nurse. Danny's prolonged silence made each glance to the other as he listened to whatever Kono was saying. Eventually, a small smile eked out and Ponch leaned even closer to catch his eyes and then waved his hands frantically to ask for more information. Danny's almost too bland expression told him nothing until the tiny grin reached his eyes.

"They have her? Is that a yes?" Ponch hissed hopefully at Danny who only glared happily at the big doctor as a way to ask that he wait. The quick nod wasn't enough either for the big doctor who was now almost bouncing in agitation. "Well? Danny?"

Kono was describing the first two locations and then how they had finally found the nurse at the third abandoned building site. " _We're waiting for the ambulance, but Christina will be at TAMC within the hour. There's a closer hospital but she only wants to go there .. tell Doc to be waiting for contact once the EMT's begin transporting her_."

A small gathering of staff had slowly encircled Danny in the hallway as he talked and he had to close his eyes to tune out their growing excitement. "Is she hurt .. did he do anything to her, Kono? How is she?"

He felt what had to be Ellen's hand on his shoulder as he asked that very important question and then registered the frustration when he only nodded to what Kono told him. Ponch was huffing loudly about the unfairness of the one-sided conversation and practically pacing a tiny hole in the linoleum floor.

_"He knocked her out and she has a nice bruise on her chin to match the one from Channing's attempted escape. She's got a whopper of a headache. But she's more scared and exhausted than anything right now, Danny. She can't wait to get out of here and home to her husband."_

"Good, good." He breathed out quickly and then asked her to hold on while he let his hand drop to his lap. His face broke into a huge smile as he looked from Ponch to Ellen and then to the few new people were so anxiously waiting for word.

"Yes! They found Christina and she's okay. She'll be here within the hour." The cheers in the hallway were deafening as Ellen threw her arms around his neck. Even the two HPD officers tasked with guarding Danny received slaps on the back and some astonishing hugs. Ponch was beaming and he gestured to the same nurse to immediately find Marco and then David Hahn or even Officer Paleo with the good news.

Danny laughed and he could hear Kono's thrilled voice chiming in on the other side but she had more to share. Wedging the phone to his ear, Danny closed his eyes again and turned his head away to hear through the excited talking. "What else? There's something else?"

 _"McNamara asked her very deliberate questions about you and the case. He knows that Channing is alive and likely to rat him out; he also knows that you're safe and sound at TAMC."_ Danny winced at the news as he screwed his eyes shut even more to listen. He could hear Duke Lukela in the background. The sergeant seemed to be demanding additional protection for both Pete Channing and himself at TAMC after he caught the words " _.. just in case_."

 _"HPD will send a few more units."_ Kono confirmed the concern and then her voice dropped. _"Danny, I'm staying out here to wait for the forensics team."_

His eyes snapped open at that announcement and he completely ignored the small group of TAMC staff who were milling about in the hallway so happily.

"Why?" His sharp word brought up Ellen and Ponch short in their celebration and they refocused on their injured friend. "What did you find?"

Kono paused and then carefully told him the truth. " _There wasn't much at the first two locations. But I can prove you were here, Danny. I want to start at this site and then case all the others to collect evidence."_

It was all she said because she was choking back tears as she watched Duke wrap a blanket around Christina Hahn. She wiped her eyes before a tear could escape as Duke handed the nurse a bottled water where she now sat on the edge of the police car. _"Tell Doc all of this, okay? I'll see you later today."_

Kono abruptly ended her call to Danny only to re-enter the cavernous dilapidated building to take photographs and begin collecting evidence. She knew that the dried rusty-colored blood on the chair and floor would be Danny's and it pained her to see it and know in advance what the forensic team would eventually prove. Her face was set in a stony silence as she readied the equipment she needed to hasten her own samples for Charlie Fong. She also catalogued her own folder of photographs as an HPD officer taped off the entire quadrant.

Ellen squeezed Danny's shoulder again as he dropped his hand into his lap. "Danny? Is everything alright?"

"Christina Hahn was forced to tell McNamara about Channing and myself." She narrowed her eyes and glanced towards her husband who was already calling security. Between TAMC staff and HPD, the facility would become a fortress until everyone felt safer.

"Kono has a few more things to wrap up." He explained and then tried to find the smile that he had lost from his face. He instinctively knew what Kono had discovered and she was doing the right thing to preserve the crime scene, as well as the other three she would need to investigate. But he suddenly felt exceedingly exhausted as he started to nervously tap the phone against his casted wrist.

For what seemed like the hundredth time, he checked the clock on the wall and tried to figure out if Chin and Steve had already landed or if McNamara was really going to be there. His mind raced through any number of possibilities and he frowned to himself. Things were definitely coming to an anxious close and he was lost in those thoughts until Ponch pried the cellphone from his fingers.

"Are you expecting any other calls? No? Good." The doctor stared down at him in a happy mix of relief and a mocking amusement while he pocketed the device. He hadn't even given Danny a chance to answer and he chuckled at the annoyed frown.

"Stop worrying so much; they know what they're doing." His kind words meant Chin and Steve, and Danny quieted for a moment. "Outside with all of you. Now. Just for a short time since it will do you some good."

Ramirez also appeased the two HPD officers regarding the sanctity of the small courtyard. "It's safe and quiet there. You won't have any problems."

Marco had jogged up to hear the end of the news about Christina Hahn and to see how he could be of help to Doctor Ramirez. He was just in time to get the beginning of Danny's rather frustrated rant.

"All? All of who? The two of us .. and Marco? Plus Mutt and Jeff here, and the entire United States National Guard?" Danny snarked back as he griped to Ellen and then made a motion with his hand to ask for the return of his phone. The two HPD officers had to fight back their own growing laughter since it was beginning to appear as if they were forming a convoy. Two security guards had appeared at the end of the hall and the swarm of people was becoming rather overwhelming.

"This is ridiculous." Danny tapped his hand on the arm of the wheelchair as he counted at least eight in the small party. "All of this for thirty minutes? It hardly seems worth the trouble."

Then he stuck his hand out again for the phone with a defiant look. "Give it back. They might call and need something."

"Inner courtyard and they aren't the National Guard, Detective." Ramirez was on his wife's side now as he folded his arms authoritatively. The man needed a healthier distraction and Ramirez had seen something - or rather _someone_ \- interesting which would additionally add fuel to the pleasant idea. "It's safe enough for a short break."

He grinned sarcastically only to shove the phone deeper into his coat. "No, by the way. I think not because someone else needs you right now."

"Phone. Now, please." Danny was determined though as the doctor pursed his lips when his patient missed the meaning of his last few words. The standoff was brief and the doctor snorted merrily as a small hand intercepted Danny's fingers. Then Grace appeared as if by magic in his lap.

"Hi, Danno! Can I push the chair?" Her question was almost shy, even a bit guilty, as he stared at her in surprise.

"Grace! You're supposed to be in school. Aren't you?" Danny gripped her fingers gently as they shared a quick kiss then looked up to see Rachel standing a few feet away. By her expression, they would talk later about Grace's frightful dream-filled night and early morning tears about going to school. She was overly anxious to see her father again to reassure herself that he was home and truly safe. Crying jags, contrived stomach-aches and a refusal to eat her breakfast had finally driven her mother to agree.

Grace smiled hesitantly at his question and then whispered the truth only for him to hear. "I didn't want to go to school. I wanted to see you." Her lip trembled as she waited for his reaction which was enough for him to pull her more into his lap.

"Just this once, Monkey." Grace gently wrapped her arms around his neck with a soft sob. "I was afraid, Danno."

"I know but everything's alright. I'm okay." Secretly, he was near tears himself that she had come to him, though of course, she would. He was whispering into her hair with his eyes closed as she clung more tightly to his neck. With only one hand, he could only give her an awkward, thankful hug in return then smoothed her hair back from her damp cheeks.

"Danno loves you Grace." She giggled and his smile returned while he thumbed the front of her blouse playfully before tapping her nose. "You're just in time to join me and Aunt Ellen for a walk outside."

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

Steve landed just thirty minutes behind Brian McNamara's almost relaxing ferry trip. By the time, the lawyer had found a taxi and made it to the airport, the two adversaries were only a scant fifteen minutes apart. The nature of Kamekona's prized treasure made it a perfect weapon; though it drew amused glances from the tarmac. Steve sighted a location with the tower that was safe and yet not in the more public view so that the two heavily clad and well-armed men were not seen easily as they disembarked. He descended by the farthest free-standing hangar with advice again from the tower that the jet in question was also in that vicinity with the pilot on the premises.

As promised, the sparkling white G550 Gulfstream was easy to spot on the opposite side of the hangar bay. A few other smaller, private planes flanked it on either side. The jet appeared to be far from ready to depart with its intended solo client. Steve and Chin approached the large hangar cautiously. The main floor was open to the air and a blue and white helicopter sat in its middle obviously undergoing some type of repairs. The mechanic was nowhere to be seen, but ladders and tools were strewn about the hard concrete floor in an order that would only make sense to him.

The rafters were incredibly high in order to fit all types of aircraft. A metal staircase in the rear of the metal building led upstairs to elevated offices and a lounge with small windows that overlooked the central bay area. Above the pre-fabricated office space was open air, attic-like storage space that could be reached by yet another short staircase. Even from where they stood, both men could see the over-crowded mess of different sized crates and boxes.

To the far left and just under the staircase was a small dark hallway that led to the back of the hangar and most likely to a rear emergency exit and lavatories. They studied and absorbed all of it but their goal was to investigate the source of the voices they could hear emanating down to them from above. The echo was confusing and it made the words unintelligible, however it was easy to hear that at least one person was indeed quite angry.

Unable to see anyone or clearly make out the heated conversation, Steve and Chin waited just inside the corner of the building where they were hidden by the parked tour helicopter. It took a few minutes, but they finally spied a blocky, broad-shouldered shape with hands that were gesturing wildly to someone also in the lounge area. His angry loud voice echoed down and Steve nodded in approval.

"That's him. He's here."

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Notes: okay, here we go and I hope it satisifies! I assume the team would do short texts to each other when separated; just enough to share important information. The "T" below refers to "Target".

 

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Twenty-three**

Steve grinned wickedly as he motioned to Chin to take a wide arc towards the hallway where he would be hidden in the shadows just under the staircase. They each needed to be sure no one else was in the sprawling building before they could proceed with their plan to bring in Brian McNamara.

On opposite sides of the hangar, both men paused to peek at their wireless phones and their grins were evenly matched. They were most definitely in the clear and free to take on whatever was necessary based on Kono's short text message. Questioning the arrogant lawyer concerning Christina Hahn's whereabouts was no longer a necessity. The nurse was safe, sound and likely on her way home.

_**"T secure."** _

Steve took a split second to respond in kind, knowing full well that she would also appreciate his very satisfied confirmation.

_**"T acquired."** _

Edging closer in, he checked the interior of the parked helicopter while Chin disappeared carefully down the hallway. At the end was another exit towards the outside and he was surprised to see five cars parked in the sun. Not knowing if they belonged to customers already venturing out on their own private charters for the day, Chin made a face. They could easily belong to civilians or even associates to Allen Darien who might still be in the vicinity and it upped their caution level.

He surveyed the area outside and then quietly closed the door. Another narrow staircase led up along the back wall to the same office and lounge area, so the men upstairs had a second point of egress. Moving back towards the main hangar floor, he deliberately checked the three doors to clear the rooms. The first was a simple closet and he huffed a relieved sound to find buckets, mops and general cleaning supplies. However, the other two doors were clearly restrooms and he motioned to Steve before continuing.

"Chopper's clear." Steve breathed out as he rejoined his partner under the main staircase.

"Exit. Cars out back." Holding up five fingers Chin informed him in a rushed whisper and then pointed to the obvious staircase which had Steve frowning since it would split them up. Then he gestured to the restroom. "Voices."

He listened then and heard what Chin had .. the sound of female voices in the women's restroom. One of which seemed to be an unhappy, teary child.

"Fantastic." Steve growled out softly. Their only recourse was to evacuate the woman or women with the child but they also needed to keep them quiet. All of that flew out the window when the door abruptly opened and a stunned Japanese woman in a beautiful floral dress appeared in front of them. She was carrying a colorful pocketbook and had an expensive camera strung on a wide nylon strap hanging from her neck. Before Steve could utter a word, she took one stunned look at the heavily armed men and began screaming.

"No! Don't hurt us!" In her panic, she saw nothing but big guns and frightening black clothes. She tried to close the bathroom door on them, but Chin wedged his foot into the jam. He pushed it hard and she tripped backwards into her friend and the child as he flung it open.

"Please! Don't shoot .. you can take my camera and we have money! Help!"

"Hey, hey, hey! We are police officers! Keep it down!" Steve's hands were up in the air in a vain attempt to quiet her constant screams. Her fear ignited the second young woman who was clutching a four or five-year old girl to her waist. Once the first began, she chimed in with the child joining the adults. Above them, they could hear chairs scraping across the floor and then footsteps as the men reacted.

"What's going on down there!" The male voice wasn't Brian McNamara but whoever it was meant business and they heard the tell-tale sound of a shotgun being primed to fire. The man was on the main staircase overlooking the hangar bay area but they were hidden from each other by the overhang. Before Steve showed his hand to McNamara, he wanted the tourists safely out of the building.

"Chin! Get them out of here! Back door!" Grabbing the first woman by the arm, Steve looked her in the eye and gave her a shake. "We're cops. Shut up and move!"

His serious expression and irate demand made her do just that as he propelled her down the hallway. "You, too. Keep quiet and move." The younger woman slammed her mouth shut as Steve charged into the restroom to usher them in the same direction. With no time to calm the child, he could only make sure that she and her mother hugged the wall in the corridor. "Go! Stay together and keep low!"

Chin had the threesome out the back door and running towards their car as another set of footsteps sounded on the landing to the rear, back staircase. "Steve!" He hissed with a wild gesture towards the upper floor.

He waited a fraction of a second for Chin to clear the doorway to ensure the women were safe. Between both men, Steve already had his own weapon ready as he bellowed a warning.

"Five-0! Brian McNamara, you're under arrest! Come out now with your hands on your head!"

For a moment there was nothing. Not a sound from either man and Steve crouched a bit lower with an eye towards each direction. He was positive that the man on his right would be the pilot or mechanic; hopefully, someone completely uninterested in taking on the authorities. He was more primed for the individual poised much too quietly on the left side landing.

Steve got his wish when there was movement towards the right. "I don't want no trouble!" The mechanic had grabbed the weapon that was kept high on the wall in the office in reaction to the petrified screams.

"I only thought those women were being robbed!"

"Slide the gun out and put your hands on your head. Lace your fingers!" Steve watched warily as the shotgun was tossed low through the air to then skitter noisily across the concrete floor. The shadow he saw indicated the man was telling the truth based on the faint outline of raised hands. But as the shotgun touched the ground, the wooden stock hit first followed by the barrel and it discharged in the direction of the narrow hallway.

There was a shocked yelp as the mechanic ran out of the front of the hangar. Steve never heard the man because the double-barrelled report left two large holes in the plaster wall closest to his right shoulder. He had his own issues to deal with as he dove away and came back to his feet unsteadily. His delayed reaction to the threat on his left cost him dearly and he never saw the fist that hit him solidly in the temple to split the skin near his hairline. A second rabbit-punch made his attacker's fist slick with blood and Steve's eyes closed on their own.

Not quite firmly on his feet, he suddenly wasn't even close to regaining his equilibrium as a third and then a fourth blow were delivered directly below the belt to miss his tac-vest entirely. The pain was excruciating as it settled dangerously into his groin area. A fifth found his kidneys and he went down to his knees without a sound. They were so quickly doled out, he didn't have time to react as his weapon was yanked from numb fingers.

If asked, he couldn't describe what he'd been hit with; all he registered was the speed behind the deliberate force. In the background of his headset, he sensed Chin calling his name but couldn't breathe let alone respond. The roaring in his ears continued as McNamara scooped up his weapon and manhandled him towards the staircase.

"I'm disappointed." Mac snarled out almost happily as he tried to prod Steve up the stairs. "I thought you would be more of a challenge, Commander. Williams was a bore. But at least your partner almost had an excuse. "

He meant  _helpless_  and Steve's fury helped him channel the pain. He allowed himself to stumble mid-way up the rear staircase when Mac uttered those last words.

It wasn't hard to feign a misstep as Steve sucked in a ragged, whistling breath of air. Danny had endured days with the man where he'd been happily used to balance the ex-boxer's apparent boredom. Mac was three steps below him and as he purposefully tripped, Steve pushed backwards with his hands. He kicked out with both feet to hit the lawyer directly in the chest, the force of which sent him falling backwards down the staircase. Steve's own momentum made him fall hard on his already bruised belly and he gasped at the spiking pain in his hip area. Struggling to keep moving, he flipped over to descend the few steps to where Mac lay on his back.

"Get over .. move!" He was gasping and blood was rolling down his cheek from Mac's first punch. He had to wipe it away with the back of his hand before getting his cuffs ready and then realized they'd be useless on the thick wrists. The man was floundering as he partially rolled to his side in an apparent dazed effort to do what Steve demanded.

Moving carefully forward, Steve roughly grabbed the man's left arm in order to turn him. Abandoning the cuffs, he snagged his zip-ties with his free hand and looped the first end quickly around one wrist. McNamara was only biding his time though and waiting for another opening. He wanted McGarrett closer for another exciting go-round at the man's expense. His stranded antics drew the officer in and as he bent down, McNamara improvised.

As he felt the plastic, Mac's eyes suddenly cleared and focused as he scissor-kicked once to catch Steve in the side of his right kneecap. The snap was audible at the same time McNamara's fingers whipped around to find the front of Steve's tac-vest near his throat. It was the perfect anchor for the ex-boxer to pull himself up to deliver yet another stunning kidney punch.

Anger and ingrained training completely took over Steve as pain radiated through his knee and lower back. With a guttural sound, he counter-attacked by slamming his head into McNamara's nose and forehead. The violent head-butt broke the skin on both men's faces and as another rivulet of blood dripped down, Steve allowed his damaged to knee to crumple in order to send all of his weight behind one crippling right-handed punch to McNamara's mulish jaw. He thought he heard a giggle though and watched as McNamara's eyes opened defiantly.

Their eyes met and then locked in a cold challenge but Steve had the upper-hand. Briefly, he heard Kamekona's impressed words in his head about the steely strength of the boxer ... then he couldn't quite stop. Before McNamara could react, he leveled five more brutal punches to the man's iron-clad jaw until he felt something finally give way.

"Those are from Danny. All of 'em." Steve coughed out as the back of McNamara's head ricocheted off the concrete floor at the base of the stairs. He was unconscious and rasping through broken teeth and likely a dislocated jaw. With his knuckles now bruised and split wide open, Steve tried unsuccessfully to shake his head to clear his vision as his fingers flexed.

The altercation had taken less than two or three very long minutes. It had given Chin the time he needed to get the two women and the little girl to their car where they were hiding. Nauseous and gasping for breath through a graying haze, Steve hunched forward to retrieve his weapon but he couldn't really move from where he rocked back on his knees. He only looked up as Chin re-entered the building on a run with his weapon drawn.

"What the hell? Steve?"

"Wrap him ... up. He's done." Instead Chin's eyes flew from Steve's blood streaked face to the top of the landing where the pilot stood. Also part of Darien's crew, he hadn't wanted any part of Brian McNamara that day. In the ten or fifteen minutes that he'd been confronted by the desperate man, the pilot had turned down his offer of $5,000, $8,000 and then finally the entire $10,000 in cash.

As Darien's loyal employee, the pilot's reasoning was sound and their argument had been escalating when the women screamed from below. The mechanic had been an unwitting distraction as he reacted to help the frightened tourists. Then Steve's shout of  _Five-0_  and  _Brian McNamara_  meant both something and nothing to him. He had a firm criminal association to the Five-0 Detective's kidnapping and no desire to be arrested at the end of the day. He got his first shot off as Chin stepped over Steve where he knelt next to McNamara.

"Down!" With his back facing the stairs, one purposeful shove sent Steve sprawling under Chin's protective stance.

"Drop it now!" The bullet hit off-center to Chin's right vest pocket but he was already returning fire and only felt a solid, pointed pressure near his shoulder. The pilot jerked twice like a puppet though as Chin's shots hit him dead center of his chest. The pilot's second shot went wide after that as he reflexively thumbed the trigger and then fell. Chin staggered backwards as he watched him tumble partially down the stairs as if in slow motion before coming to a rest on his chest.

"Chin?" The pained gasp from Steve was wet and congested. When he turned to see what was wrong, he was shocked. Steve's face was almost completely covered with blood and his right leg bent at an odd angle. He'd been barely out of sight for a few minutes and he had two injured and one dead man on his hands. McNamara was already beginning to twitch though and Steve was pointing at the fingers which were folding once more into fists.

"Cuff .. him. Twice." Chin pulled out his own zip-ties and then flipped Mac to his stomach. Using two, he bound the criminal's wrists together and then did the same to his ankles. He heard the bloody gurgle from Mac's lips as he rolled him and left him laying there but if anything, the move allowed him only to breathe easier.

Steve maneuvered himself up against the wall and then didn't know where to place his own hands. His knee was already swelling from unseen injuries but the pain radiating from his gut and lower back near his kidney's was continually taking his breath away.

"Steve?" He hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes until Chin shook his shoulder. He looked up, wiped his eyes with the side of his forearm and frowned when his lieutenant also coughed.

"You okay?" Chin nodded and then rubbed his shoulder where the material on the vest looked damaged. "I'm fine. You're a mess though, brah."

"Later." Steve was already shaking his head to refuse the next suggestion for medical attention and a hospital. With Chin's reluctant help, he got to his feet because he had no intention of staying on Maui longer than necessary.

"Call the local police for that guy; hold him for Max." His blood-stained hand waved through air and then settled on Brian McNamara. "As for him ..."

"Hey. I got it, Steve." Chin interrupted him as orders began to spew from his mouth but his body began to shake. Hunched against the wall, he was only balanced on his one good leg and vertical merely because Chin was holding him up.

"Sit back down. I got it." Easing him down and gently straightening the injured leg, Chin was insistent as he placed calls to the tower for security, the local police and for an ambulance. With a pained sigh, Steve rocked his head gently back into the wall and listened to the organized hum of his friend's voice. New orders were given and requests were made for a secure flight back to Honolulu. Additional support from HPD plus at least one other ambulance would be waiting for them on the other side.

Steve stared through heavy eyes at McNamara's prone and nearly hog-tied body. He seemed to be barely conscious, but Steve didn't trust it for a second as he listened to multiple sirens coming closer to the hangar.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	24. Chapter 24

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Twenty-four**

Steve's eyes were closed and except for the slight pinch of his forehead, he almost appeared to be asleep which couldn't be farther from the truth. He was listening to everything going on around him. He was avidly interested in and he distinctly heard each independent person's voice, including Chin's very organized and authoritative requests or demands.

He also felt every poke, prod and sometimes not so gentle but apologetic jab from the EMT's that were working on cleaning his two head wounds and stabilizing his knee for transit. An intravenous line was already in the crook of his arm and a blood pressure cuff was wrapped permanently around his upper arm. Evidently, neither was quite yet pleased with his vital signs as he sensed one of the men moving alongside to take yet another reading.

'Sir? We're going to move you to a stretcher." More than an hour had passed by and they were still at the hangar. He was sitting in the same spot in the hallway where Chin had so wisely insisted that he remain and most happily, Brian McNamara was still out for the count. Adrenalin had taken some time to wane and now, the reality of his physical status had crept into the picture.

Airport security, two ambulances and local police swarmed both in and outside the building. The mechanic who had been so quick to give up the shotgun was found hiding in a parked Cessna and was being questioned. Nervous and apologetic about the accidental discharge of the weapon, he was leaning up against a police car in the back parking area. Every so often, he gestured often towards where Steve and Chin were inside the hangar's hallway as he tried to explain his actions. The Japanese women and the little girl were long gone by that time, though. Having just returned from an exciting helicopter tour, it was more than obvious that they weren't involved with any part of Allen Darien's connections. Through their tears, their statements were taken and they were eventually allowed to leave the property.

Steve was thoroughly relieved to have Chin stepping in to manage and make decisions so he keep a judicious ear on what was happening with McNamara across the five foot gap from where he sat. A second medical team was focused on the criminal's triage while Chin and no less than three other local officers kept a nearly rabid eye on the ex-lawyer. From what he could hear, McNamara had two cracked ribs from connecting with Steve's booted feet and subsequent backwards fall down the short fight of stairs. The cut on his forehead would need a few stitches and there was a definite concussion from hitting the back of his head into the concrete floor after his jaw had rebounded off Steve's fist.

McNamara was a dirty fighter; and while Steve obviously could adapt to meet the man head-on ... quite literally ... it certainly wasn't his style. However, the discussion over the status of the man's jaw almost made Steve smirk because they couldn't decide if it were indeed fractured or dislocated. The swelling was already quite significant and a delicate probe by one paramedic had discovered quite a few loose or chipped teeth.

"Steve?" Chin's low voice broke through his deep concentration as he listened to the happenings of McNamara's continued triage and the murmured ongoing discussion from his newest security detail.

"Steve? How are you doing?"

He forced his eyes open and then winced in confusion because the lid of his right eye didn't quite cooperate. He was also already flat on his back, covered with a blanket and Chin was looking straight down into his face. He heard the EMT's warn him of the move to a stretcher, yet he had missed it completely. Now on top of that, he was having trouble focusing his eyes on Chin's much too blurry face so instead of answering, he responded with his own question.

"What's next?" He went to rub the ache in his forehead, remembered the bandage, and then changed his mind. The fact that one of the technicians stayed his hand from rising too far, also helped.

"No, sir. I wouldn't do that, we just got it to stop bleeding." The man advised gently as he tucked Steve's hand down back. Then he frowned again in exasperation as Steve freed his hand once more to lift one finger questioningly in the air.

"Wait a minute. Didn't you get hit?" Steve tried harder to focus and finally saw the damaged area on the vest near Chin's shoulder. Before he could answer, Steve was plucking at the same EMT's shirt to get his attention.

"He got hit. Did someone check him out?"

"Yes, and yes again." Rotating his shoulder freely, Chin demonstrated just a tiny hitch. He was wearing his vest loosely because he had already taken it off and been examined.

"The vest did its job and I've got nothing but a bruise by my collarbone."

Both paramedics nodded in agreement as they continued readying Steve for transport. "He is fine, sir. We're almost ready to move out so we're going to focus on you now."

But Chin's face was oddly placid as he took notice of Steve's barely focused expression before giving him the requested update. "We've secured permission for a medical team and these four officers to travel with us back home. We'll be leaving in about thirty or forty-five minutes once the plane is ready and the tower clears us. I'll make arrangements for Kamekona's chopper to be transported today or tomorrow."

In what seemed like a miraculous move, Chin had made preparations for them all to leave in a smaller aircraft versus the even smaller helicopter with additional security to keep McNamara in line. And with two men requiring medical care, he'd also managed to include two of the emergency medical technicians.

"Good." His relieved sigh was genuine and he blinked his eyes, surprised again when he had to struggle to re-open them. Wincing from a throbbing in his head, he found his friend staring at him much too closely. "I'm fine. Thanks, Chin."

"You got rattled pretty good, brah." Arguing against the easy, automatic choice of words, Chin knelt down by Steve's shoulder. "A bit early for Halloween though."

He added it as a light joke but was worried about the crisscrossed white steri-strips and blood-dotted gauze on Steve's temple and then virtually between his eyes from the vicious head-butt. The darkening bruise was already spreading and Steve would have a true black-eye within hours as some of the resulting edema advanced towards his right eyelid making it puffy. Chin had also easily noticed the bleary unfocused eyes made worse from fatigue and tension, and he couldn't help his own deeply stressed exhale.

"Though this wasn't exactly the way to do it, it's about time you had a bit of a break." Chin added as he counted the hours mentally from the day before wondering if Steve had actually slept since Sunday or even Monday. But Steve only snorted out a soft chuckle and then grimaced for another ache.

"How's his back?" Seeing even more discomfort, Chin asked the EMT's for their opinion above that of the injured man.

"Ten to one his kidney is at least bruised. We can't tell much here unfortunately." Steve frowned because the low, below the belt punches had caused a deep ache in his back and abdomen. He felt as if he'd been hit with a cement block from McNamara's powerful and much too quick, well-aimed punches. They were being careful about what they were finding during their triage but lacked the tools to thoroughly assess. "How's the pain? And how is your knee feeling?"

"It's there." Steve admitted about the dull persistent ache in his lower back. There was nothing to be done though until he got further examinations at the hospital. "The knee's better, but its got some issues too."

Stabilized now, he would need an MRI to assess the true damage done by McNamara's street-fighting techniques. His entire knee was swollen, he was unable to bend it and the paramedics had flatly refused his tentative request to try it out. Gesturing tiredly towards the two technicians, he tapped the top of the soft brace they'd wrapped around his knee for Chin's benefit.

"The boys here think the meniscus is torn or at least the ligaments are damaged."

The most anyone could perceive of Chin Ho's rising anger was a tightening of his lips and a subtle narrowing of his eyes. He glanced once towards the downed ex-boxer out of an ingrained habit. His quiet nature became even more brooding, but you needed to know him in order to see it. Heavy-eyed, Steve peered up at the overly subdued man. They were both upset by the morning's events and wholly unable to get Danny's damaging captive photograph out of their minds. The trio, and especially Brian McNamara, had been brutal in keeping their friend trapped and with no options for escape. After experiencing the man at full capacity, it did Steve absolutely no good at all to know that McNamara had actually been ' _careful_ ' in what he'd doled out to his partner. That only meant he had been more demonic and methodical in hurting Danny at his whim. Because of that, Steve inherently knew it had happened often and was the reason for the extreme compartmentalizing that Doctor Ramirez had described.

With some effort, Steve pushed it all away to give Chin a lop-sided grin. They had their man in custody and regardless, Danny was now home and recovering safely at the hospital. "Hey, at least I know of a decent cane I can borrow."

Trying to lighten the mood, he kiddingly slapped the side of Chin's leg with the back of his hand, pleased with his own joke. The unexpected comment caught the man utterly off guard and Chin's expression faltered but then he had to smile. "That's low, brah! Really low!"

Steve considered that too for a moment before shrugging. His chuckle became a deeper laugh which he suddenly couldn't quite control. "Yeah, you're right. It just may be."

There was another long moment where Chin simply stared at Steve as the inane smile and a ragged laugh continued. "As of right now and after that comment, I think you should take the Governor up on his suggestion." Chin's voice mocked Steve's deeper laugh that ended on a tired and very pained snicker.

"Denning? What's that?" Still smiling and finding his joke more funny than it probably should be, Steve was curious since he didn't actually remember anything from earlier that morning. His humorous smirk didn't quite leave even when Chin reminded him with an overly patient eye-roll that wound up becoming his own short chuckle.

"Sleep. You're obviously over-tired."

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	25. Chapter 25

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Twenty-five**

"They're on the way back and they're coming directly here." Kono had just texted the brief updates to Danny - much edited - after speaking to Chin before their plane departed from Kahului Airport.

Danny's cell phone had been returned and he'd been tucked back into his hospital bed after dutifully being outside. He had to admit, the respite had been well-timed and worth the original trouble, though now he felt the familiar tension beginning to return. Hours had passed and Steve and Chin had finally apprehended McNamara. And Danny wasn't being overly picky or sensitive, but the round-robin way of being contacted by Kono instead of directly by Chin or Steve was slightly troublesome.

He sighed as he read the short text messages again. Danny had already lost some of his smile as his eyes took on a faraway, worried look. Still visiting, Ellen and Rachel shared a quick glance over Grace's head and Danny slowly nodded to their unspoken question regarding McNamara. "Yeah, he's in custody and I assume needs medical attention."

"That's a relief. To finally have him in custody, I mean." Ellen murmured under her breath. "Kono is still busy I take it?"

"Very." Danny affirmed quietly. Determined to focus on each of the addresses or locations Pete Channing had provided, Kono would not be back for many more hours to come. It was what they wanted and yet Danny plucked idly at the bedding, manhandled the remote to the TV and tapped the cell phone all with his right hand while watching Grace as she sat cross-legged at the edge of the bed.

She finally looked up and smiled happily at him but could tell something else was coming; and it wasn't necessarily because her Aunt Kono had just sent him an important message or two.

No, he had remembered. Grace grinned mischievously and then nodded before he could say it out loud though of course, he did anyway. "Grace .."

"I will. I know, Danno." She also felt much better after their long afternoon together and she giggled when he raised his hand warningly in the air. His eyes were laughing and while she knew she was sort of in trouble, she'd be quickly forgiven now that her father was getting better. She had just needed to see him herself.

"School, Monkey! Tomorrow and on time. Promise?"

"I promise." Edging up closer she carefully avoided the IV line to hug him as gently as she could. She wasn't afraid anymore but she needed the time that afternoon to be sure. She heard him whisper  _thank you_  to her mother and Grace smiled into his shoulder. She also knew that her visit had cheered him up immensely. But now it was getting late and and she could tell that her mother, and even Aunt Ellen, were getting ready to leave.

Sure enough, Rachel got to her feet followed by Ellen who was balancing on one foot again while reaching for her crutches.

"I'll still be around in the hospital, Danny. Ponch has a few more hours on shift and I'm going to wait for him." The truth was now that she knew Steve, Chin and McNamara would be coming directly in, she needed to be there too. Just to make sure that her friends were fine and to provide even more support for Danny. If she could play messenger and keep his mind at ease, then that was exactly what she would do. Before hopping down the hallway, Ellen waved a happy good-bye so they could end their visit alone.

Each parent could see that Grace was glassy-eyed from needing sleep and more than ready for an early bedtime. Fighting his own weary feelings, Danny was also tired from the enjoyable visit and change in scenery. He shifted carefully in the bed and made a face about his bandaged feet. Of everything, that was going to be his most tiresome issue for a full recovery. His left foot was only slightly better than his right which was the culprit behind his infection.

Rachel noticed his annoyed fidget under the blankets as she walked over for Grace and to give him a warm kiss on his forehead. "Everything's going to be fine. We'll be back tomorrow ... after school."

"Bye, Danno." Grace was beaming as she slid off the bed and then leaned on her toes for another careful hug. Her words were muffled again in his shoulder but he caught each one. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you more, Monkey." With a hand trailing off her head, he smiled happily as she skipped from the room.

He sat there quietly until he no longer heard the quick footsteps and his smile once again drifted away. The room was empty and he should take advantage of the next few hours to sleep.

"Doctor's orders. Sure." He sighed to himself with a tiny note of disdain.

Instead of trying to rest, Danny kept looking at the cell phone or towards the hallway as distant voices reached his ears. The two HPD officers were staunchly on guard even though Brian McNamara was finally in custody; and Danny was far from being truly alone on any level. Plus, they had a never-ending pile of proof against the man. With the change in venue for Allen Darien's trial, Channing turning in mound after mound of evidence, and McNamara in hand, he should have felt more in control.

Brian McNamara was the last one of the three to be rounded up. Danny was almost relieved but oddly very disturbed at the same time. Oddly, he still felt trapped and he had to work at calming his breathing for a moment as unease almost became a panicked and utterly irrational urge to run. Unconsciously, he looked where his damaged feet lay under the blankets before returning to his fidgeting.

McNamara would never have come in quietly and he wouldn't give up that easily; it simply wasn't in his nature.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

On the return flight, Chin stood in the aisle between Steve and Brian McNamara. There wasn't much room in the jet for two stretchers, so Steve was sitting across the seats with his injured knee propped up. Once again his eyes were closed but he held an icepack in his right hand which he anchored firmly to his right eye while he sat stoically upright against the bulkhead. They were sure he also had a concussion and even though the ice felt good, his head was keeping an off-beat cadence to the pounding in his knee. This time, his energy was utterly spent and Steve was much less aware of his surroundings after accepting a dose of morphine.

He knew Chin was at his feet and a medic was actively ensuring his comfort as best as possible. Despite the morphine, he was concentrating on steady breaths around the belt-like ribbon of pain each careful inhale caused through his lower back. Under the icepack, his right eye was officially on hiatus as the swelling intensified but Steve partially cracked his left eye open as he sensed Chin suddenly shift warningly. The movement took him by surprise and he accidentally jolted his knee when he reached for a gun he no longer held.

"It's fine, sir." The medic supported his shoulders as Steve sucked in a deep breath to ride out the unexpected pain. It took him a minute or two before he could speak and then his eyes met Chin's worried ones.

"Okay?" Steve mumbled roughly and Chin answered with a barely perceptible nod as he stared briefly at the braced knee. Steve watched his friend harden his stance but nothing was wrong, so he forced himself to relax and went back to his rhythmic breathing. If he didn't move and if the jet didn't encounter any turbulence, Steve estimated that he could have a return flight that he would be at least able to cope with.

A few minutes later, Chin glanced to the one medic that was on his knees and once again rechecking Steve's blood pressure. It had been on the high side and the man was still not overly pleased as he fixed a blanket across his patient's legs.

With his hand casually resting on his gun, Chin's gaze went back to McNamara who had finally woken just before being settled towards the back of the plane. He remained not only on a stretcher, but forcibly restrained. His waking had been nothing short of violent and he'd almost caught everyone off their game.

It was a completely reactive response which hadn't lasted too long, but the ex-lawyer managed to kick out with bound legs to catch one of the officers with a stinging blow once again in the knee. That officer and a second had grabbed his legs, another his shoulders, while straps were fastened around him to prevent any additional movement. Zip-tied top and bottom, and now strapped to the stretcher, McNamara was staring angrily at Chin but unable to speak due to his damaged jaw.

Chin was currently in McNamara's sights because as soon as he'd become aware and then trussed, the Five-0 lieutenant had read the man his rights. He'd done so loudly and very particularly with witnesses present to avoid any future judicial issues or questions. McNamara's medical care was also diligent and trustworthy to avoid allegations of mistreatment or abuse. It angered Chin as much as the ex-lawyer but the long-term benefits were undeniably going to be an indefinite stay in a penitentiary .. somewhere completely away from civilization .. and for a very long time. No one was willing to give the wily criminal any potential for legal ammunition that would ever aid his own future defense.

Once they landed, McNamara was taken off the plane first. Steve was left with his two dedicated medical attendants while Chin and the security details swapped responsibilities with local HPD. In fact, Steve had demanded that Chin ride with McNamara personally, which he was now doing.

"Ready? We'll do all the work sir."

Steve nodded with his eyes firmly shut. He didn't relish the concept of being moved from where he sat to a stretcher. His physical condition was perilous and he'd managed to power through the flight by hardly twitching a muscle. They must have sensed it too, for the care they tried to take in moving him as slowly as possible. Still, he couldn't fight the low moan that finally escaped his lips as he was jostled through the narrow jet, down its steep steps and then was moved with the help of the new ambulance crew from stretcher to gurney.

Regardless of their care, each abused muscle was awakened and the throbbing in his head spiked suddenly to a full-fledged migraine. The air was hot and humid on the tarmac, and the strength of the bright sunlight was brutal. By then, Steve knew that he was going to lose his fight against the nausea which twisted his stomach into a spasming knot of pain.

"Sick." He managed to croak out the one word just as they reached the bottom of the jet's staircase. Gently rocked to his side, one medic kept his injured knee elevated and protected while the other three patiently waited out a long series of dry heaves. The retching pulled on his abdomen and lower back which only added to his misery.

Unable to do more than weakly nod when he was done, he was everyone's primary concern as they slightly elevated his head and dispensed an anti-emetic. But Steve was wholly wrung out and miserable after the episode. Black spots danced before his closed lids and he realized that he had finally hit his own personal wall. Wishing he could simply curl up and hide from the much too bright Hawaiian sun, Steve used his hand and what was left of the ice pack to shield his face.

He grunted in discomfort as the doors to the ambulance slammed shut to seemingly suck out the air and the vehicle began to lumber out of the parking lot towards the hospital. Danny would have plenty to say and then, so would Ramirez.

But the target was secure and the win had been more than worth it. Steve groaned softly to himself since Governor Denning would likely weigh in as well. As Chin had so ruefully reminded him, their boss had been adamant about Steve's apparent lack of rest during what had become an intense, tight timeframe of pursuit.

"You need this now, sir." Hands were on the wrist that he was using to hide his eyes and he winced as he automatically squinted, one-eyed up into an unfamiliar face. Steve's stomach churned again and he gagged unexpectedly.

"Take slow, deep breaths." The oxygen mask was placed across his nose and mouth while another blanket was laid across his chest. Slick with a cold sheen of sweat, he carefully cocked his arm back over his eyes. With an affirmative sound, Steve did as he was told and willingly resigned himself to their care.

More medication was dispensed into his IV line and he found himself practically floating by the time he opened his eyes to tiny slits again. He stared at the latest doctor who was bending over him and watched the man's mouth move. His brain was slow to hear the words and then even slower to reply as Doctor Ramirez repeated himself.

'Steve, do you know where you are?" He frowned because he certainly did, it was only that his own mouth distinctly refused to translate the words in his tired brain to actual understandable sound.

Ramirez had passed Brian McNamara off to a qualified colleague soon after the first ambulance had arrived. Chin had tracked him down to explain the situation and to continually organize the ongoing need for security.

 _"Steve's behind us on the next 'bus. He's banged up pretty good, Doc. Concussion, messed up knee but he took some blows to his abdomen."_  It was clear that Chin preferred Ramirez to take on Steve's case personally and the doctor readily agreed once he heard the reports from the ambulance to the Emergency Room. What he found when the Commander arrived was startling. Pale and sweating heavily, Steve looked as if he'd been hit by a large truck of mammoth proportions. The reports from the EMT's logged a disturbing series of declining events. High blood pressure had increased even more while nausea had become vomiting. The pain in his abdomen and lower back had taken up a permanent residence and his awareness level had gone from good to a more semi-conscious state.

"Are you with me yet?" Trying again, Ramirez mumbled to himself when Steve finally gave in to communicating with a quick head bob. But he slammed his one good eye shut with a deepening wince of pain.

In order to examine him, Ramirez stripped his patient down to the bare essentials and then covered him with a sheet. The bruising on his face, temple, abdomen and then well below his ribcage to wrap around his back towards his kidneys attested to the power of his strong opponent. From what the doctor could see, there wasn't an injury though that appeared to be random about where it had been delivered.

"He certainly knew what he was doing." The doctor made a face as he gently checked Steve's head under sensitive fingers. Steve hissed uncomfortably as the big doctor pulled out a penlight to check first his left and then with utmost care, the tender skin around his right eye. Shortly after, Ponch was speaking to someone off to his left about his welfare and summarizing his injuries; Steve felt a glimmer of annoyance by the rudeness. Then, he even forgot that emotion as his body argued loudly against the recent abuse and he determinedly focused on the outline of the oxygen mask which lay over his nose and cheeks.

"His pupils are uneven and he will definitely need stitches for this cut on his temple. Schedule an MRI for that knee." Steve heard it all, but didn't feel the need to respond. Exhaustion had finally taken its toll spurred on by the violent fight with Brian McNamara. So while he understood, he lay there and let Ponch take over. He grimaced and weakly tried to flinch away as the doctor palpitated his abdomen and side nearest his kidneys.

"Quite deliberate." Ponch muttered in disgust as he gently found each bruise. "Pull blood for a full panel and get me a urinalysis. Put him down for an abdominal CT Scan to rule out any tears."

Steve understood that too and groaned unhappily under his breath. Depending upon how badly his kidneys were hurt, there could be blood and even much worse indicating more issues. He'd be in the hospital at least two or three days as the doctor's assessment continued.

"Steve?" There was a hand on his shoulder and Steve forced his eyes back open as best as possible. It was Ramirez again and he was insistent this time as he glowered almost angrily at him. But it was more concern than true anger, and Steve paid attention only to have his mouth twitch into a grin.

"Commander, McNamara had better be damned worse than you right now."

"Count on it." Steve huffed out the weak affirmative and raised his hand for a weary thumbs up sign.

They shared a short triumphant look but the doctor's face changed to one of confusion when loud voices echoed across the emergency room. It was then that a loud gunshot rang out from across the space and Ramirez threw himself bodily over Steve while his two nurses hit the floor to hide on the other side of the gurney.

Under him, Steve struggled briefly against his smothering weight. "Doc .. move." His fingers pulled against the bigger man's lab coat but Ramirez had no intention of allowing him to get into harms' way.

"You're of no help in this condition, Commander. No one is moving from this room." The doctor shook his head in aggravation as Steve reacted automatically and then groaned as the pain in his head hammered warningly. "Relax. There are plenty of hands on deck."

But Ramirez heard the renewed shouts when Steve did and he froze in place. Still leaning protectively across his patient, his eyes widened in horror when he heard Chin's voice, then the deeper growl of McNamara, and another volley of gunfire suddenly rang out. There were screams and the sound of panicked running steps when an alarm finally sounded in the unit.

"Ellen." He whispered her name and then nearly choked as he lurched partially to his full height. One strong hand was still planted on Steve's chest and he pulled a nurse to her feet.

'Keep him here and on that damned gurney before he breaks his damned neck! Do not leave this room under any circumstances!"

With that, he disappeared and Steve was left gasping in a stunned silence as the nurse prevented him from following.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Notes: doggone muses ... they even surprised me this time.

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Twenty-six**

Ponch bolted out of the room he had been in with Steve and into mass confusion. Virtually barging through a wall of moving bodies that were being evacuated through the main area, he zeroed in on Chin and the three motionless shapes that were laying in ever-expanding pools of blood.

The doctor he had handed Brian McNamara to was one of the three and feebly moving towards one of the downed nurses who was bleeding from a wound in her arm. But the third nurse was just slightly out of reach and not moving at all. Ramirez felt a pang of guilt and fear for his injured friends and the one motionless nurse. Advancing towards Chin with care, he tried to stay low as he frantically searched the halls and every frightened, passing face for his wife.

"Ellen!" His voice boomed out menacingly as he failed at finding her quickly enough to satisfy his pounding heart. Torn, his medical training kicked in and he lurched towards the injured lying so helpless on the floor.

"Get down!" Chin hissed as he pulled the big doctor behind him and then nodded towards the downed doctor who had pulled the one nurse into his lap. She was frightened and Ponch saw the bloody crease across the doctor's forehead. But ever so slowly, the two began working themselves out of the line of fire.

"We're good." The man gasped as he finally edged to a far corner of the hallway. Chin sighed in relief as he spared Ponch a worried look for the second woman who was still not moving.

"I can't reach the second nurse to find out for certain. We're going to have a wait." Chin was talking in a fast rush as he knelt in the hallway. One hand was firmly wrapped in the fabric of the big doctor's white coat, but his eyes were on the farthest area and his gun was still aimed unerringly towards the blind spot.

"Where's McNamara?" His anger bubbled just below the surface as he surveyed the mess in his emergency room. A gurney was over-turned, blood stained one wall and was tracked by varying shoes in a multitude of directions on the linoleum floor. He had wounded to care for and hopefully no dead, but he couldn't yet find his wife. Ponch was tense as he looked again for the injured ex-lawyer.

"Where is he? I don't see him." The hesitation was subtle and Chin's voice dropped at least four octaves as he motioned to the farthest corner of the room.

"With Ellen. There." An invisible knife twisted in Ponch's gut as he stared at Chin in total disbelief and his eyes followed the gesture. He had to move a little to see them.

Both crutches were thrown to the floor and Ellen was balanced on her good leg with an HPD officer protected behind her. The man had been wounded in the leg, was leaning on the wall near his wife, and was barely on his feet.

Ellen Ramirez though was eye to eye, toe to toe and ..  _weapon to weapon_  .. with McNamara who had a third nurse by the throat.

"Oh, god. What the hell happened?" His eyes were huge and Ponch's stunned brain almost back-fired but Chin forcibly kept him down with another warning growl of anger. He knew his wife and he saw the incredibly steady hand. Both had served together in the Army with long admirable careers. True in the medical field and retired, but both could handle weapons quite competently. In fact, Ellen Ramirez was the much better shot and he knew that she was about to prove it. The difference between them being that her personal, emotional fall-out would be eventually much more extreme.

"McNamara was being recuffed to the hospital bed and he got out of the ties on his wrist." Chin's voice was astonished as he shared the unbelievable news. "He was loose in seconds, physically took down two guards and got one of their guns. He was just waiting for an opening .. playing possum."

Chin had seen Steve's own unbelievable training at its most dangerous height. He had rarely thought that someone outside of trained SEAL or elite military could do the same; and yet, McNamara had. Perhaps with not as much finesse, but he had an incredible strength and the dire results were the same.

"Ellen was in the hallway." He was still talking fast as he tried to get a line of sight on McNamara for a clean shot. "When he shot the HPD officer, he fell into Ellen and .. this is what happened."

The astonished tone was still in Chin's voice as Ponch finished the story himself. With her own military past, she had reacted to take the officer's gun and stepped in front of the man to protect him. Now, she was in the middle of a petrifying standoff with a killer.

He watched McNamara's hand flex and then tighten around the nurse's throat. His face was a grotesquely bruised and distorted mess from his altercation with Steve. His jaw hung partially open and off to the side, and he must have bitten his tongue for the trickle of blood running from the side of his mouth. He was also slightly hunched and leaning heavily into his hostage for balance.

The trapped nurse's hands were wedged under McNamara's forearm but she couldn't budge his strangle-hold and her attempts only made him more angry. "I'll kill her or you will take me to him .. now. I want him now!" His jaw hardly moved and the slurred words were full of pain on a thick tongue, but McNamara glared at Ellen while he reiterated his demand. "Take me to Williams."

He shifted his arm and hand to instill that threat and they all watched the nurse react in her growing fear. "I'll kill her."

She gurgled, fought briefly and then sagged as he took even more of her air; it was all Ellen needed and neither husband nor wife flinched, though Chin did.

The nurse was thin and off center just enough; Ellen's one shot took McNamara down between their TAMC nurse's neck and his own carotid artery. His fingers clenched again before relaxing and the nurse screeched as she finally tore free and fell weakly to her knees. But the ex-lawyer stayed up on wobbly legs and Ellen took a full step backwards with her gun still aimed directly at his head. But she didn't need to do anything more.

With McNamara still a threat, Chin took the second shot which spun the man on a 45 degree angle to face both Chin and Doctor Ramirez. His expression was one of utter disbelief and not so oddly, anger and Ponch would later describe, as shocked at his own mortality.

Chin set his jaw as Mac staggered towards them gripping his own throat with fading light in his eyes. His third shot was center mass and enough to finally push the ex-lawyer over the edge and permanently down to the ground. Then he, Ponch and other officials were running forward to secure the dead man and care for the injured. Ramirez only had eyes for Ellen though who was still hopping on one leg as she tried to gently roll the injured HPD officer to the floor.

"Ellen?' His voice was full of a harsh strain and his throat bobbed uncontrollably. She barely looked up though while firmly grabbing the officer's bleeding thigh with both her hands to stem the flow of blood. He watched her as if watching a movie as his fists clenched and then unclenched in the open air.

"He wanted Danny." Her voice was steady but a darkness lurked in the tone. The three words were her explanation for killing the man, added to the justification of her own nurse's safety. "He took Christina and now, he would have killed Alison, too. He really wanted me to take him to Danny so he could finish him off. Just to prove a point."

"Ellen. Please." He tried again knowing what she would say and she certainly didn't disappoint him.

"Later, Alphonse." It was a curt response. Only he heard the minor quaver in the tone as she demanded help for the injured officer and another nurse came running over with a medical kit. She would talk and crash later; he would willingly pick up the pieces. But regardless of her ankle and the now dead criminal, Ellen needed to work. Since he knew that too, he allowed it as the second nurse and then another doctor intervened.

"He's going to bleed out." She hesitated briefly for his sake and her pupils were blown in shock and dark with pain. Her vision went past him and she nodded for him to get moving.

"Get your patient back to bed, Alphonse. Get this mess under control; they need you." Medical staff were milling about again and security was attempting to control the last of the mayhem. As another nurse took Ellen's place and helped her to her feet, he turned partly towards where her chin pointed and he stared at the woman who had Steve propped on her shoulder.

"She's fired." Ponch finally coughed out as he forced his feet to walk towards the Commander. "She is so very, very fired."

But his false threats were cut short as two HPD officers rounded the corner pushing a wheelchair. Danny was pale and his eyes were as big as Ellen's as he tried to absorb what he was seeing. Turning on them next, the doctor was at wit's end as he balled his fists in abject frustration.

"You! Stop right there!" His hand flew up to halt their progress as Danny stared at the prone form of Brian McNamara. He never saw Chin or Steve; and he certainly didn't hear the doctor's furious spouting. He only saw the chaos, the blood and the body of the last man that had terrorized him.

"Both of you are fired, too!" The two officers in Danny's detail rocked to a stunned halt and immediately apologized. They had heard the commotion over their radios and then their charge had insisted and then demanded to be taken down to the emergency room as reports declared the all clear. But for Danny, everything tunneled to a deafening standstill as he tried to breathe suffocatingly heavy air into his lungs while staring into McNamara's lifeless eyes.

"Danno."

With the nurse's help, Steve was barely wrapped in a white gown. It was askew and she had only been able to quickly tie the thin, fabric belt in a sloppy knot at this back. Leaning heavily on her shoulder, he pushed forward to waver unsteadily on one leg while hissing through the thick band of pain in his abdomen. His knee was on fire and he could barely see straight but Danny was looking right through them all. He tried to get Ponch's attention but it was still to no avail as the man stalked away to finally take charge.

"Doc!" But the man was busy with the more critically injured, and Ramirez barked commands as the chaos came to an orderly halt. A wheelchair was found for Steve and he sat near Danny as Chin waded in to secure McNamara's body, the weapons, and helped to identify the injured. Staff was organized into pods of teams and soon everyone was being properly evaluated under the big doctor's guidance.

Danny's eyes were blinking but not a word came out of his mouth as he stared across the room. He blinked reactively when someone walked in front of him or blocked his view of the body. Minutes passed and then some of the noise finally began to enter his sense of being when he thought he heard his name being spoken out loud.

"Danny. Hey, brah." Looking down, Danny found that his right hand was being choked in an incredibly tight grip. He followed the strong fingers to the wrist and then got stuck on the thick black watch.

"Danny?" Calm, dependable, demanding but not overly so and he knew it was Chin before his eyes settled on the man's worried face. He almost lost it again but then Steve was there and unlike their friend, he was immediately in Danny's air space and then almost just as quickly ... gone. Steve rounded on the two HPD officers much like the doctor had on his nurses, and Danny merely watched it as if disembodied.

"What the hell were you thinking in bringing him down here!" Steve was verbally lambasting the two HPD officers and it wasn't entirely their fault. It wasn't their fault at all. Danny wanted to explain that it was only due to his own demands. He'd made them do it after the all clear was sounded. He'd insisted when the hospital alarms went off, then the radio's buzzed so alarmingly. He had bristled angrily; and Danny had won the fight as the radio communications continued and the officers keenly felt their communal need to be with their own.

They had heard the all clear, but he didn't expect to see what lay before him now. Danny's eyes flickered away from Steve and towards the injured TAMC staff being moved now to gurneys for continued triage and then back to McNamara. He blinked again when someone had the foresight to lay a sheet over the dead man's entire body.

In the background, Ellen was up on her crutches and giving direction; he had no idea that she would be the one to have pulled the first fatal shot. Chin's two bullets had only been for insurance at that point. The white sheet covered the man now, but the blood was still pooling and seeping out in various directions. It was mesmerizing and Danny swallowed hard as one edge of the sheet seemed to flutter in a breeze made by so many hurrying people. He saw just enough of the strong fingers, the swollen knuckles and then part of the man's even thicker wrist.

"Daniel. Look at us .. right now." He was scaring them and damn .. if he wasn't scaring himself, too. But he was back in the nameless, dark room with the bad smell again. He hadn't ever seen McNamara's face or heard him speak. In fact, he hadn't known the man's name but for Sneakers Two. For some reason now, he was helpless to stop staring at the man's sheet-covered corpse.

"Danny!" Steve was almost desperate with worry as he drilled his fingers into Danny's right shoulder and then gave him a firm shake. Danny's head bobbled weakly on his neck and his distant eyes refocused on Chin and then over to his partner.

He frowned when he saw the bruises, bandages and terrible swelling that closed Steve's right eye. Danny's mouth gaped open as he drew in a shuddering deep breath of air and he realized that Steve was drenched in a cold sweat and actually trembling. His voice started as a hollow, toneless sound but then gained some strength.

"You look like crap, Steven." His left hand twitched in the heavy cast where it lay on his lap, before his right hand flapped in an aimless gesture. "We're sitting in the middle of a damned military hospital. Why isn't someone taking care of you?"

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	27. Chapter 27

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

It was very late and very dark. The excitement of the day had died down long ago and virtually everyone had left including the HPD guards that were no longer required to watch over Danny or Pete Channing. It was oddly still after such a chaotic day and almost unsettling as if he were missing something by the utter peace of it all. Even Chin had taken care of everything down to the most minute of tasks and finally gone home. Kono had also wrapped up the long effort to catalog each site as a crime scene. Peace was a good word but he wasn't sure it applied to him yet.

As tired as he was, Danny was unable to sleep. The hospital room was sparsely lit and he was nearest the window and it was black outside with no moon. The curtain that divided the two beds was pushed aside, but the one curtain closest to the door was partially drawn to block the stray bit of artificial light from the corridor. The once empty second bed was now occupied by Steve but he hadn't moved in hours. Not a muscle twitched nor a noticeable change in breathing. Doctor Ramirez had finally run the exhausted and injured man through MRI's and ultrasounds from stem to stern. His knee was braced and would be operated on the next day by the same orthopedic surgeon that had corrected Ellen Ramirez's broken ankle.

Ellen. Chin had told him what she did, too. Danny didn't know if he was shocked or simply in awe. Oddly though, she hadn't stayed around in the hospital to see any of them. Ponch had remained long enough to calm and direct his staff. More than long enough to make sure Steve was well on his way on the right path and that Danny was back in his room. Then he too, had left the grounds as quickly as possible and then Ellen's actions hadn't seemed so very odd at all. Thinking about it now, Danny firmly believed that just maybe he and Ellen Ramirez were on identical pages that evening.

Danny couldn't hide from any of these thoughts that kept rounding back and forth in his head. Next to him, Steve continued to sleep. Fluids were being pushed as well as a healthy dose of antibiotics and his kidneys were being assessed for damage due to traces of blood in the latest urinalysis results. Four stitches were neatly placed along his temple and into his hairline; two steri-strips were almost centered between his eyes where he had head-butted Brian McNamara.

His hard-headed friend had a mild concussion and was being dutifully watched, but it was clear that the man was purely run down clear off his feet. Danny alternated between staring at the foot of his bed and then glancing over to Steve. His black-eye was on the opposite side and so, Danny could see the unblemished left eye quite well. His face was lax in sleep and and except for the steady beep of the machines, nothing stirred in the room and every one of Danny's fidgets seemed overly loud.

Danny now had a good idea of his team's week-long trial of trying to locate him. He understood from Chin how Steve had pushed and not rested with his hopeful anxiety only becoming worse once Doctor Ramirez had notified them of the surprising news. He'd only slept for the few hours on Sunday that the doctor had kicked them all out of the hospital upon their return. Then Steve had pushed again after Danny had recognized McNamara.

He made a face and couldn't help looking over at Steve yet again. Quietly, Danny pushed off the light sheet and swung his legs carefully over the side of the bed. He winced as his bandaged feet touched the floor and the one broken rib pulled and complained at his uneasy restlessness. He was a bundle of nerves and the supposed peace around him only made it worse. Edging down to the foot of the bed, Danny sat in the sliver of light from the corridor and saw just enough of the occasional person walking by as they did rounds or cared for other patients. There was a faint hum of speech and sometimes soft laughter from the night staff all of which he used in an attempt to distract himself.

"You shouldn't be up." Ever so quietly, the night nurse had snuck in the room without him realizing it. "Do you need anything?" She was whispering as she came to him first before checking Steve's vitals.

Danny shook his head as she took his blood pressure and temperature from where he sat perched. The truth was he didn't know what he wanted or needed.

"Temps almost normal." She whispered with satisfaction. "Antibiotics are doing their job. How are your feet feeling .. your wrist? Do you need any pain medication?"

Again, he shook his head and the nurse seemed to solve his dilemma for him. "Side chair or do you want to hang outside of here in the hallway or even the visitor's waiting room for a while? It's late and no one is there. You'd have it to yourself and there's a television."

She motioned to the comfortable deep chair in the corner of the room first and Danny immediately refused.

"Outside." He whispered. The chair suddenly seemed ominous in the dark and he realized he needed  _light_. He also wanted to walk and thought he could at least try but the nurse was merely amused. "Cane or walker?"

"Sorry. Nope, not yet." Danny's suggestion was met with a tongue in cheek smile as the nurse snorted softly. She practically glared comically at his injured wrist which got him to at least grin.

"But wheelchair ... yes and consider it done." With an eye and ear towards Steve, the nurse pulled the wheelchair over and the two snuck out quietly for the brief sojourn. Danny felt some of the tension leaving after she sat him in the empty visitor's lounge under the large television. He was within earshot of the nurse's desk and he found himself listening to the busy hum of activity. With remote in hand, a mindless infomercial jabbering overhead, and a cup of hot tea on the end table next to him, Danny closed his eyes.

He slept sitting up until almost dawn when the same nurse roused him to insist he get more comfortable. By then, the sun was starting to peek on the horizon and the hospital room held a dull brightness.

"Where did you go?" Steve was red-eyed from sleep and his voice still held a gruff roughness to prove he needed even more rest. He had woken a short time earlier and had been more than surprised by the empty bed near the window. He expected to see his partner immediately upon waking since he hadn't actually communicated with him since being in the emergency room. Steve had been asleep when transferred upstairs and now .. he woke alone. He stared at Danny as the nurse wheeled him in closer to the bed.

"Just in the corridor. I couldn't sleep." The excuse seemed reasonable but the fact that Danny looked exhausted and distracted aptly countered it. Steve frowned at the still quiet nature that didn't exactly fit well either. There had been a glimmer of the old Danny downstairs and now it seemed gone once again.

"You should both try to rest now - go back to sleep!" The nurse admonished them once Danny was back in bed with feet elevated for comfort on two pillows. She left on those words as silently as when she'd first entered the room.

"How do you feel?" Danny wanted to know as Steve rubbed at his lower side. The shrug was all he needed to know about the continual dull throbbing ache, and he huffed a disgusted sound in reply.

Steve was doing his thing and Danny felt a flicker of irritation. The  _thing_  where he studied Danny even though he was sure his face was an unreadable mask. He was being thoroughly weighed and measured, so he sighed and aimed a pair of blue daggers back at his nosy partner.

"I'm fine, too. Perfectly fine, Steven." Danny may have said it too quickly or with too much vigor for the change in Steve's face. But oddly, there wasn't a smile or any other indication of another question coming, or even an argument against what he said. The unexpected next word was soft and came with an accepting nod. It completely disarmed Danny as he hesitated ever so briefly to squirm back into his pillows.

"Alright."

"Alright, then." Danny repeated definitively as he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. He couldn't hide the tiny smirk that leaked out from his lips at Steve's nearly final, quiet words.

"But, if you ever wanted to talk. I'm here." Persistently said and just one shade below being a plea.

"Bull-dog is a better nickname for you." Danny muttered under his breath and his eyes rolled behind closed lids.  _Go to sleep,_  he demanded his body to relax as he tried to put himself under.

"What was that?"

"Nothing" He almost did say something though. Except he didn't know how to put what he was feeling to words. When he tried and with the sun coming up on another beautiful day in paradise, it sounded dumb in his own head.

However, there was one niggling half memory and with his eyes still closed, Danny asked Steve but was wholly unprepared for the very hesitant reply.

"There is something else. It has to do with Grace .. I think." He tried hard but couldn't put his finger on it even though Rachel's voice ran through his head. He knew at one time; in fact, he knew what was wrong fairly recently but hadn't truly digested it. And now, he couldn't pick through the hazy, nonsensical words. So behind closed eyes, Danny made a face as Steve waited for him to find the right way to ask.

"I missed something with her and it was very important. What did I miss with Grace?"

Steve deflated all at once. His hesitation was entirely emotional because he'd been with Grace that very day. She'd been distraught and completely inconsolable. It marked the beginning of her frightening withdrawal and the overwhelming onset of Rachel's fears. He looked over and saw that Danny's eyes were still closed and then studied his own fingers. Danny had missed an entire weekend with his daughter but June 16th in particular.

That one very special day.

The reminder was not going to be received easily no matter how it was said or by the positioning he might try to use. Steve clenched his fist tightly and then willed himself to relax. There was only one way to say it and that was plainly.

"Father's Day." Steve whispered it as he looked back up and directly into Danny's rather stunned eyes. Steve totally understood the importance of it; he understood Rachel's gesture for that extra father-daughter weekend which the two had entirely lost. He felt a moment's anger at Danny's past use of 'borrowed time' because now he understood that phrase in a brand new and totally unfair manner. He contributed to it this time in the worst possible way. What had happened practically gave credence to Danny's sometime paranoia about his essence of simply 'being'.

All of it was made worse by Grace herself. She had been devastated because not only had she asked for the weekend with her father, she had crafted a special gift for Danno ... and Steve had witnessed that loss, too. They were both victims and it wasn't their fault but he knew that would be a poor validation, so Steve didn't even try to suggest it. With a deep breath, Steve answered the question truthfully and watched the rest of the remaining mental gaps fall into place in his partner's brain.

"You missed Father's Day with your daughter, Danno. You had plans together for the entire weekend before any of this happened." Steve's voice faded on a regretful hitch. "I'm sorry." He was sincere in that, too. He was very sorry and he wasn't sure he could fix it, but he would try as he watched Danny's face fall through too many emotions to finally settle on guilt.

"No way, because this was my fault from the beginning. A threat meant for me that got to you." Steve was still whispering but his voice had become more rough with a note of personal anger for Danny's reaction. The guilt was not for him to hold and Steve wasn't about it have it land there. He ignored Danny's attempt at a retort and then the flare of pain as he rolled onto his hip so he could make his point extremely clear.

"You are forgetting one very important thing.  _D. Day_  was about you as a way for Darien to get to me so I would keep my mouth shut when called to the stand. All of this is my fault, Danny, because I wasn't smart enough to know better."

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	28. Chapter 28

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 28**

There was a long moment of silence and then a rather annoyed sound from Danny's side of the room.

"How do you figure?" Of all the things Steve had said up to that point, his admission of blame was the first thing that actually made Danny twitch and then grin. It started with a disbelieving open-mouthed stare that morphed into a confused head shake as Danny's right hand waved just once in the air as if conducting an invisible orchestra.

Then he didn't give Steve a chance to expound or explain. "What am I, Steve? A cop if I recall. Always been one since the day I locked up little Mattie at the zoo. It's why Rachel called it quits but I stayed one. It's the reason she tries to bring up every so often to take Grace as far away from as humanly possible. Yet, I'm still a cop. I can't stop being what I am."

"As much as it sometimes hurts, my daughter knows that probably better than anyone. We'll get through this." His voice softened considerably and Danny maintained that lopsided grin as he aimed his finger towards his partner. Steve screwed up his face in confusion as the rant continued.

"Now, don't take this the wrong way. The one thing you aren't is a cop. Not in the truest sense of the word. Regardless, we all thought  _D Day_  meant Darien, you goof. We were all very involved with the threats and how you were targeted. There was no reason to think that _D Day_  meant me! There is not one thing that you personally did or can take blame for because I let my own guard down."

That part was very true; the team had a role to maintain after finding out that McNamara was associated not only to the mobster, but also as a mole within the prosecution team. Amongst them, they had kept all things critical away from the press and retained the general integrity of Alistair Landon's own prosecution. The venue was already changed; it was done and a closed issue. All the charges .. and there would eventually be more shared at the right time thanks to Pete Channing's testimony ... would remain untouched and relevant to the case. But as Steve continued to listen and stare at his partner, his confusion turned to annoyance as he watched the much too somber eyes.

"Danny, we need to talk." Steve was ignored as Danny's fingers scratched idly at the blanket to the bed. The room was brightening even more as the sky phased into a lighter, pre-dawn stage. There was a hint of red though and Steve recognized the early signs of a pending rain shower.

"We all did our jobs and I'm fine. Everything worked out and one is in custody who is most willingly going to cut a deal on his sentencing. It puts Darien directly in the limelight as the responsible party." He seemed to be adamant as he waved Steve's mouth closed because he wasn't yet finished.

"The one thing that you and I have; that we  _all_  share ... is trust and there's absolutely zero room for blame. If we blamed ourselves in this line of work, where would we be, Steven? There's no room for it." He kept shaking his head as if realizing something and threw what might have once been Steve's own words back at him.

"We never think about what we could have done. Second-guessing is a dangerous enemy and because of that SEAL brain of yours, you know it better than anyone."

"Are you done now?" Steve had been mostly silent through the rant as it gained strength with the increase of shadowed light that was coming in from the window. His head was churning though because he wasn't buying all of it; especially when it came to Grace. It was Steve's turn to snort in disgust when Danny shrugged noncommittally about his speech.

"That remains to be seen. Have I made a dent in that Neanderthal skull of yours?"

"That was professionally very nice. Quite eloquent. But I'm not sure I entirely believe you." Steve said it blandly but he meant it wholeheartedly. He felt as if he had been schooled by one of his naval Master Sergeants.

"I mean .. I  _do_  .. the sentiment is nice and I guess, theoretically right on the mark. But no, I'm not buying all of it and frankly, I don't have to." The words fit but when it came to one little person, the attitude was completely un-Danny-like.

"Certain things are always going to be my responsibility." Steve shot back at him without blinking and then offered him a small token of agreement followed by a large caveat.

"On the surface for some of this, you're absolutely right because we all did our jobs with the information we had on hand. But we're friends and Danno .. you just totally changed the subject." He continued to stare challengingly at Danny until the man looked away.

"You were abducted by professionals. They intentionally kept you at a disadvantage. No food for almost more than a week; little water, drugs whenever they felt like it, and absolutely no communication whatsoever to keep you pliant or subdued and totally under their control." Steve was angry and he had to force himself to lower his voice. His first hand experience with Brian McNamara backed up what Kono and Chin had learned of the man's unethical professional boxing career. Kamekona's awed comments about the man's strength, cunning and ability to take a hit were all valid. He would have intentionally pulled his punches with his trapped partner but it still hurt and crippled in more than a physical way.

"McNamara wasn't only a criminal, he was a dirty fighter, a low-life, and a bully. He liked his opponents backed into a corner and he took great joy in it, Danno. He and Madison in particular left you no choices at all."

Steve couldn't stop now as a startling realization entered his own mind and he rubbed his temple near the bandages. He remembered Doctor Ramirez's words about the supposed amnesia and what it really had been. "Danny, for what they did and didn't do, you might as well have been kept in solitary confinement."

There was a distant rumble of thunder in the distance and Steve automatically glanced to the dark window. He shook his head sadly as he rubbed at the ache near his forehead even harder. "You did what you needed to do to keep your sanity and to get out of there alive."

"I didn't know where I was after a while or if it was day or night. And then, I almost forgot  _her_." The whisper was barely audible from where Danny sat only a few short feet away. "I couldn't remember her face or her voice. I was afraid I'd lose all of it."

After that, the silence was deafening except for the first spatter of hard raindrops that hit the window. Steve didn't know if he had read it all wrong or even gone much too far until Danny's face turned completely away to stare out the window. He knew then that he had gotten it right when Danny's inhale was overly loud and his shoulders shook ever so slightly. What he repeated came out on a raspy rush of air. "I almost forgot everything."

"But you didn't; you protected all those good memories." Steve continued talking even though Danny now wasn't looking at him at all. His voice dropped and his tone became much softer. The sound of the rain seemed to suck Danny in as it broke his thoughts up into tiny pieces. He shivered involuntarily when the thunder sounded even closer, and Steve took advantage of it.

"I don't know how you do this job with a kid ... as a dad. You know how much I care for Grace and for you. Her face on that day was something I will never forget; she's a lot like you."

Steve had to stop to take a deep breath and beat down the emotion or else he'd never be able to continue. His last words hit home and Danny was now rending the blanket in a nervous twitch. What Steve said next came out in a fast rush and it was the only reason he got through it. "You guys are more than family and I'm going to take responsibility for you losing your Father's Day with your daughter because I can and because I want to. It's probably the only way I can do something for you and Grace to try to make it right."

Danny's shoulders seemed to quake even more and Steve took it as a sign of agreement as he heaved himself the few short feet to the second bed. Ignoring the headache and flare of pain in his lower back, Steve brought the IV fluids with him to sit on the edge of the mattress. Danny's eyes were closed as tears streamed down his face and he struggled to say that he was fine ... yet again.

"Yeah, you are." Steve agreed softly. "But let me at least take this one thing on for you and Grace." He pulled a completely unresisting Danny into a hug and then nothing else had to be said or shared at that point.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	29. Chapter 29

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**Chapter 29**

Danny was emotionally and physically drained when he pushed himself away from Steve who continued sit on the edge of the bed. "I'm good. It's okay." He felt weak, worn-out and utterly bone-tired by the conversation and no-holds-barred, jointly shared, venting session. They had stopped talking and Danny was surprised to find that he was struggling now to keep his eyes open as he fell limply back into the pillows.

"Thank you. Tired." It was truthfully all he could get out at just above a raspy whisper and not even something he needed to say. Steve audibly sighed before putting a settling hand on Danny's shoulder. His eyes closed on their own then, and Danny felt the bed dip as Steve leveraged himself up to stand mostly on one leg. The awkward position wasn't doing Steve any favors either though he would never complain.

"We should both get some sleep." Steve agreed as he bit his lip to hide the deeper throb pulling at his hips while he almost peg-legged himself carefully back into his own bed. Sliding out had been easier for both his knee and his lower back where now, he needed to creatively find a way or two to inflict less pain upon himself.

The initial test results showed that Steve had a tear to his medial collateral ligament caused by McNamara's heavy purposeful kick to the outer side of his knee. Surgery on his knee was scheduled for later that afternoon but he was also desperate to sleep again from the emotional purge on top of the pain medications and antibiotics being pumped into his system. His knee felt loose and rubbery as he slid the short distance between the two beds and then managed to get both his knee and the IV back to where they belonged without too much trouble. He rubbed his eyes with one hand before looking once more over towards Danny. He was pale but a bit less frenetic, though even in sleep, Steve watched the fingers on his right hand spasmodically tighten before eventually relaxing.

"This is messed up, Danno." It was the only softly mumbled gripe the silent room had the luck to hear as Steve figured out a somewhat comfortable position. They were both going to be down for the count, with feasibly long and painful recovery schedules. It was a mutually depressing thought that wouldn't leave him as he finally drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later, Danny slept through Steve's transfer downstairs for his knee surgery. The orthopedic surgeon came unexpectedly to explain that the operating room had become available much earlier than anticipated. The surgical time had been moved up and Steve was soon on his way well before any breakfast could accidentally be served. And so, Danny woke alone exactly as Steve had during the late night hours to manage his own tray of food and to play boringly with the television remote. It was too soon for anyone to know anything at all and he sighed often as he clock-watched minute by minute. Chin and Kono called from the office at least. The brief break in the monotony was welcome as they carefully filled him in on the crime scenes and catalogue of growing data against the sole living member of the trio and furthered the link to Allen Darien's devious plans. The boon had been in McNamara's apartment where Chin had found a scrap of paper with a partial number to what appeared to be an offshore bank account. Proof was building and becoming even more ironclad as facts were strung together. He and Kono were close to confirming McNamara as the account's owner with his elderly father setup as beneficiary.

 _"Hundreds of thousands of dollars, Danny."_  Chin reported with some satisfaction. _"The account was established three years ago and the most recent lump sum was deposited in mid-June." C_ hin didn't need to confirm the date deposited as the same day Danny had been abducted. It was a bit of unnecessary information that didn't actually need to be voiced out loud.

 _"We'll confirm the routing to the best of our ability. We'll bring in whatever experts we can to try and originate this last deposit from any one of Allen Darien's many holding companies. The case against this guy has been going on for a long time. Alistair Landon could even be key in filling in gaps when it comes to this level of financial detail."_ Neither he nor his cousin doubted for an instant that the transfers would come from any other person. The account was almost perfectly setup but they had seen it all before; its technological defenses could only be buried so much. They just needed to push a bit more to gain everything that they needed.

That call had ended and Danny had purposefully pushed it from his mind. His teammates were rabid about finding every last shred of evidence to pile on against Allen Darien and Pete Channing. Rubbing a dull ache between his eyes, Danny was relieved when the nurse came in to help him sit on the edge of the bed. He made a perplexed face when he tentatively tried more weight on his left foot.

"Are you okay?" The nurse asked worriedly before they were interrupted.

"He better be by now!" The two were stunned when Ellen Ramirez crutched her way into the room completely unannounced. She was smiling and gesturing a bit with one crutch as she tried to hop-skip her way into the room. And then his nurse was all smiles for her sorely missed co-worker and the two shared a quick, warm hug.

"Ellen! When do you get to come back full-time?" Ellen's shrug came with a wry laugh.

"I don't know Rosie, maybe three weeks but it could be a full month." The two spoke quietly and then Ellen shooed the other nurse away. Her renewed smile was all for Danny as she sat next to him on the bed. She glanced curiously towards Steve's empty bed and Danny explained the little that he knew about the change in plans.

"Good. Doctor Benson is a good ortho and will take care of everything." Ellen stared seriously into Danny's face as if trying to read every line and tiny bit of his changeable expression.

"We have some things to catch up on anyway." After Rosie left and her footsteps dwindled down the hall, Ellen's smile faded a tiny bit as she pushed her hair back behind her ear. "So, do we? How are you doing, Danny?"

In reality, he was much better than he had been in days and she relaxed as she studied his face. "Do you truly feel better?" She made a disgruntled sound though since he was examining her in the same way. She found a need to explain herself before he even prompted her with the obvious question.

"I'm fine, Danny." Ellen was more tolerant than defensive which made him grin as if to continually challenge her statement. Her tone was that of the demanding head nurse as she practically dared him back in return. She poked him hard in the shoulder and he laughed at her expression.

"I am. So tell me how you are."

"It's actually not too bad." Danny indicated his feet as he sat mostly on the side of the bed. His tone was full of an honest sense of amazement since he was sure he'd wind up flat on his face. While it was still bruised, the pain wasn't even close to crippling and Danny was relieved to feel more secure at least on one of his two healing feet.

He wiggled his toes and then tapped his foot gently on the linoleum floor with a pleased grin. "No, it's not bad at all. It doesn't hurt like it did."

"You're still going to be careful. You're going to listen to me this time, too." Ellen admonished him while supporting his good arm so he wouldn't accidentally slip from the mattress. He immediately knew what she meant about his much too spontaneous and dangerous  _issue_  with Madison in the Samoan jungle.

"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time." The words were lame and she shook her head in a strongly remembered feeling of fear and dread.

"Never again. Never." Ellen whispered as tears sprung up in her eyes. Then he wasn't sure if she meant him or herself and how she'd been forced to shoot McNamara in the emergency room. She shook it off before he could say anything and snagged his casted wrist carefully. She gently manipulated each finger and nodded when the swelling wasn't as bad.

"You are going to be careful, Danny, especially with this healing wrist." Danny sighed to himself as he studied her face. She was simultaneously both far away for a moment and then caught up in his care. He knew instinctively that it was best if he said nothing as she insisted on checking his temperature and vital signs even though she herself, wasn't quite up to par. Submitting to her automatic nursemaid tendencies though, he could barely stop from rolling his eyes as she took his pulse.

"It's good." She lost her pensive look to smile at him. "I don't think you should be walking yet though." Danny was still perched there and testing even more weight on each foot. He knew he would have trouble and pointed towards the wheelchair. But before he could ask Ellen's help in transferring to it, loud voices in the hallway distracted them both. One sounded mysteriously like his partner who should have been well into his surgical procedure.

"I think Steve is on his way back already. That's odd." Ellen had known about his surgery that morning. It was one of the reasons she had come in to the hospital with her husband after spending a good long time at home. After the confrontation with McNamara, Ellen had her meltdown by herself in the parking lot of the hospital while waiting for Ponch to take care of his responsibilities in the chaotic emergency room. He had found her trembling in the passenger seat of their large SUV and then hustled her home for another prolonged bout of hysteria.

An odd eerie calm had followed in the privacy of their house where Ellen had insisted on cooking an elaborate dinner before retreating to a darkened bedroom. Her frenetic penchant for cooking was a catharsis he hadn't experienced in a very long time. But Ponch alternated his attention by giving her the space she needed, but not too much, as he remained within earshot. After cleaning the kitchen, he had tracked her into the darkened bedroom. He had then persistently pulled her into his arms and sat with her in bed without uttering a single word as she purged her feelings of guilt, sorrow and rage at McNamara for forcing her into taking his life.

There was no doubt that she had to do it. Someone had to do it and she had taken up the mantle as the events unfolded around her. But her full validation came at Ponch's gentle reminders of the man's evil tendencies. The fact that Chin Ho had backed her up and supported her first shot helped immensely; not to mention how Mac had beaten Danny, terrorized Christina Hahn, and then threatened their own ER nurse.

 _"He wanted to kill Danny. He knew he wasn't leaving the grounds, and yet he wanted to kill him."_ Ellen was continually bewildered by McNamara's final demands and it took a long time for her hands to stop shaking and her mind to calm itself. Some of her questions didn't even make sense to her husband, especially when it came to the ex-lawyer's possible rationale for what he had done.

 _"I don't know why he didn't want Steve when he was right there. Just two rooms away ...why? Why did he want Danny?"_  Ponch had to shush her ramblings because there were no reasons for what the man had done except the lure of money and a penchant to hurt other people.

_"Maybe he like felt he was losing and killing Danny would be a final win. But it doesn't matter because he was a sick man, Ellen. He doesn't deserve your time anymore or the wasted breath to say his name."_

A full day later, Ellen had gotten past it all and she was anxious to see people and to especially check in on both Steve and Danny. Now however, both were surprised when Steve rounded the corner with an aide and yet another hovering nurse. Abandoning the idea of the wheelchair, Danny sank back into his seated position on the edge of bed as he watched the happy group enter the room.

Peeking out from the few bandages near his temple, Steve's already bright eyes lit up even more when he saw Ellen sitting next to Danny on the bed. "Ellen! When did you get here?" But before she could answer, Danny was making a fuss and waving his hand in Steve's direction.

"No, no. Now wait a minute! What happened?" Danny checked the early morning time before using the TV remote to gesture wildly at the injured leg that he couldn't quite see from where he sat. He also didn't quite trust Steve's overly pleased expression.

"What did you do? Did you break yourself too much this time?"

"Did I break ..  _what_? No!" The laugh was spontaneous as Steve welcomed back a more normal banter before proudly tapping the new knee brace. "The two ortho's here conferred and ran some new tests. Seems I don't actually need surgery after all!"

The matching grin from Danny was genuine as they both received some good news for a change. While the nurse helped Steve get settled, he was still talking about what the next few days would be like. "The brace keeps my knee from moving side to side and I have to wear it for a few days. Then Ellen's orthopedic surgeon says I can start a rehab program after to strengthen it again."

Trying to point to his own back, Danny frowned about the obvious discomfort Steve was still in. "Kidneys? What's with that?"

Doctor Ramirez rounded the corner into the room just as he finished asking with a pleased look while bouncing to a halt with his hands shoved deeply into his pockets. He smiled broadly at his wife who beamed back.

"It means simply more rest and another round of IV fluids. There's no lacerations or tears and things are looking up with each test we draw. Steve can probably be discharged tomorrow if things continue down this path. As long as he promises to rest."

"I mean it!" The no-nonsense glare made Steve raise both hands in submission when the big doctor felt the need to repeat himself. "Rest! Complete and utter rest or you will be back here before you can pull the pin on a grenade."

The very disgusted sound from Danny silenced them all for a brief moment and Ponch folded his arms across his broad chest in confusion. "What? What did I say?" Danny was shaking his head and staring in abject horror at the ceiling before almost growling out a mocking sigh at Ponch's question.

"What did you say?" The dramatic second eye-roll made Steve chuckle because he could guess what was coming next and Danny didn't disappoint him.

"You said the magic word.  _Grenade_. So,  _you_  don't exactly know how fast that might be." Danny said slyly as Steve burst out laughing. His mood spiked even more as he measured Danny's much improved attitude and clearer eyes. His smile only widened when Danny aimed the remote at Ponch this time to finish with his own style of jibe.

"If he's ever been in your car, I'd suggest checking under your seats for misplaced SEAL toys." Ellen snorted at the idea and pushed heavily into Danny as she began to chuckle which made him grin more, too.

The remarks got Ponch to laugh heartily along with the three and then before his first patient could even think to look glum, the doctor aimed a finger at him matching Danny's own recent tone.

"You. You're top of the list for getting out of here next." Continuing to bounce happily on his toes, Ponch cocked his head at the latest vital signs and test results. He was not so secretly pleased to see him sitting up and sounding more like himself, too.

"Your temperature's normal. First time in days, Danny and you're looking much, much better." The doctor was delighted and a grin remained plastered across Steve's face.

"So, when then?" Danny was anxious to be on his way, though he sensed he had a bit more on his plate to overcome. He was pleased though at Ponch's answer.

"I'd say tomorrow too, however I'd like to see you gain some strength and equilibrium first. You're going to need help, so we'll need to figure out how to handle your walking safely in the short-term." Making a so-so motion with one hand, Ponch added, "but I'd estimate no more than two days now."

"Two days is good. That's even better news." Steve added as he laced his fingers behind his head, leaned back into the pillows, and then instantly winced. His bruised lower back certainly wasn't ready yet for such a grand, stretching move.

"Brilliant." Danny snorted and waved his hand as Steve chuckled out an  _ouch_  and rubbed his side. But ideas were already rolling around like pebbles in Steve's head and picking up speed. He was developing the perfect  _brilliant_  plan to get both Danny and Grace firmly back on their feet for the one most important unfinished piece of business.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Notes: spontaneous angsty chapter because the "breakfast muse" said so and purged it over two cups of coffee. *bangs head on counter*

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**Chapter 30**

Later that afternoon, Steve came up behind Danny in the hallway of the hospital and almost stopped cold before recovering quickly to intervene before there was an accident. The wheelchair had rolled about three feet away and Danny was leaning heavily into the wall. He counted the heads in the hallway, recognized the faces, and realized belatedly what was going on as he used his one crutch to get to his overly alarmed friend.

"Danny, it's okay." He was ignored and too far away still to make an impact. He couldn't make out the words yet; he could hear the tone though and knew Danny was beyond stressed.

"Hey, Danny. It's really fine .. sit down before you fall." Again, ignored and Steve cleared his throat worriedly as he tried to pick up his pace.

"Grace. Come here. Right now." Sweating and pale, Danny's right hand was begging for his daughter to be anywhere but where she was at that very moment. His casted left wrist was clutched tightly to his chest and his fingers were painfully fisted.

"Danny!" Without disturbing other patients, Steve tried to project his voice as he limped closer when Danny leaned into the wall to stay upright as a sharp ache lodged in one bruised foot. By the subtle tilt of his head, Steve knew that Danny had finally heard him, but he never moved. Danny couldn't take his eyes from where Grace stood much too far away and next to an older suited man who spelled disaster for her father's thundering heart.

"Grace." Instead of understanding her father's fear, Grace was smiling up at the man and holding the brightly colored flower he had plucked out of the large display.

"Its okay, Danno. He came to see you and Uncle Steve. He brought you both something to get well." Her smile wavered in confusion as the man gently placed his free hand on the top of her head to guide her towards Danny. The move was meant to be calming. It was anything but that as Danny nearly left marks in the wall as his nails clawed for balance.

"Don't you touch my daughter." Anchored to the wall, Danny wasn't able to move which helped Steve gain ground even though his partner still was far from actually paying attention to him.

"Alright." Trying to diffuse the situation, the man removed his hand from her head as if he'd touched fire. "I'm sorry. Go to your father, Grace."

"Daniel. It's okay." Steve tried to lace as much calmness into the words as he could. Alistair Landon had merely come to visit both Five-0 officers to offer his sincere get well wishes, apologize profusely to each, and to share the latest on the court trial happenings as they related to Allen Darien. Having not actually met the man personally, he hadn't realized that the Detective would react so very badly to seeing him and he didn't quite understand why. He was greatly relieved to see the Commander just beyond the clearly upset Detective in the hallway though. He prayed silently to himself that the second man would get there before Williams might further injure himself.

"Do as he says, Grace." Fearful that Williams might fall, Landon couldn't help himself as he once more gently pushed Grace towards her father. He blanched noticeably at his second accidental error when Danny practically growled at him.

"What did I just say?"

"Go to him and get him to sit down, dear." He spoke quietly and very calmly while Danny's eyes only hardened dangerously.

"Grace!" Danny hissed as she finally left Landon to walk towards her father.

Drawing closer, Steve propped his crutch on the wall and used the wheelchair for the rest of the next few steps. He was there now too and awkwardly rolling the wheelchair forward to lock its brakes closer to where Danny stood barely balanced against the wall. Landon sighed in relief while remaining rooted to the one spot. He felt stupid and utterly useless to help as he stood there with the large floral vase tucked into his one arm.

"It really is okay, Danno. Come on, you need to get off your feet." Steve whispered practically in his partner's ear while putting a hand on each shoulder and guiding him backwards to sit. He could feel the tension and adrenalin that was serving to keep Danny upright and was anxious now to get him safely seated. He sighed in relief when Danny stumbled the half-step backwards and sank willingly into the wheelchair. Keeping his hands on the trembling shoulders, Steve bent down to quietly speak to him.

"Landon is fine. He's a good guy and the entire prosecution team's been checked out within an inch of their lives. You know that, Danny. We told you." Steve didn't get a real response though until Grace was hand-in-hand with her father. His distress was still palpable as Danny pulled her into his lap, closed his eyes and placed his forehead on top of her own. He heard Steve then but wasn't quite embarrassed enough to apologize for the fear that had skyrocketed through him. He had never met the man and could only recall seeing him on television and in a much too close proximity to Brian McNamara.

Wisely, the lead attorney simply stayed where he was to wait for the situation to come under control. He barely heard the Detective's words to the Commander and he blew out a deep breath in complete understanding for those that he did eventually catch.

"I know .. you did. But I only saw him ...on the news. He was with _him_ .. with McNamara on the news. I .. never met him." He stammered and Steve sent an apologetic look towards Landon who smiled reassuringly. Danny was talking into Grace's hair and rubbing circles on her back as he tried to explain himself to Steve. His voiced faded and he finally palmed his eyes hard as Grace took a few steps back with her flower.

"He .. I didn't know .. it seemed .. it was just." Steve patted his shoulder soothingly as he muttered something Landon couldn't quite hear.

"Danno?" Grace still thought she had done something wrong and didn't understand what had happened. She, her mother and Uncle Chin had met the nice man in the elevator and she had been officially introduced. Mr. Landon had explained how he was bringing get well cards and flowers from his office for both Uncle Steve and her father.

He had made her laugh because his law office had also ordered a large fruit basket that would come later that day. He had tried to show her how big it was and nearly dropped the one floral arrangement he was still holding now. Her mother had to grab the vase and got wet as water sloshed out to stain her dress. Everyone had laughed then and now Uncle Chin and her mother were still close by; in fact, Uncle Chin was near the nurse's station waiting for Doctor Ramirez. Her mother was in the ladies restroom trying to dry out the water stain on her clothes.

Grace had been on her way to see Danno when the nice lawyer had plucked a flower from the display for her to put in her hair. But that was when her father had seen them and gotten so very upset.

"Yeah, Grace. It's .. okay, Monkey. I .. just .. it's fine." The words still weren't actually coming out and Landon watched as Steve kept both hands on Danny's shoulders to ground the shaken man. Using the chair for balance, Steve turned it and aimed for the hospital room with a look that indicated the lawyer should follow now. As he did so at a respectable distance, he scooped up the abandoned crutch for Steve.

"Deep breaths and calm down. It's not a big deal." The older man could hear Steve coaching his partner and he felt even worse for what the two men had gone through. Landon felt directly responsible, even though he too had been fairly snookered by his ex-now deceased attorney. It was a professional embarrassment which had nearly taken too many innocent lives. Only by the sheer will of those good people involved would his prosecution team remain intact and a dangerous mobster go to trial with all charges firmly still in place. He owed Five-0 his thanks and so much more as he waited to share his true concern for their well-being. Landon now stood quietly in the doorway as Steve rolled the chair close to the window and gestured for Grace to stay near her father. When it came to Grace, none of them should have worried because she was already happily tossing her book bag on to the bed.

The flower was behind her ear as Grace proudly pulled out a few things from her bag to show him. The distraction was very normal and extremely welcome as Danny recovered from his emotional over-reaction.

"So, I think you need this?" Already choosing to move on, Landon took a few steps into the room to hand Steve his crutch and the placed the floral display on one of the available tables. His face relayed his concern and true penance for what he'd inadvertently caused. It was clear that he wasn't even remotely offended by what had occurred.

"Thanks. We're good here. Don't worry about it." Speaking low, Steve smiled warmly as he shook hands with the attorney and then introduced the man to Danny who had finally regained his composure.

"You two have not officially met. Let's correct that now." Danny nodded and tried to apologize but Landon grandly waved off any remaining awkwardness as he inquired about their health and then did apologize profusely for what had happened with McNamara. Danny relaxed as he listened to the astute lawyer mince his words wisely for young ears. His genuine intention and points were well-received and Landon didn't over-stay his welcome either.

He was pleased to hear that Steve didn't need surgery and would be discharged the next day. With Danny, very shortly after that. It was news for Grace and her eyes lit up happily. "You can come home?" She squeaked as she carefully threw her arms around his neck.

"Sounds like it if Doc Ramirez still says yes." Danny kissed her nose and she laughed as she hugged him even more tightly. He released her as Landon announced he'd be leaving them alone.

"I met Mrs. Edwards and this little one in the elevator. I walked in with them and Lieutenant Kelly, so they are due to show up any second. I won't take up any more of your time." Grace beamed up at the lawyer as he dared to playfully tap the flower in her hair. His continued apology for what he'd done was left unspoken and this time, Danny smiled in return to offer his own brand of reassurance.

"Good, good." Landon nodded in absolute relief before leaving. "Enjoy your visit with your family and I am truly glad you are both doing so well. If you need anything at any time, I expect a call!"

Rather than getting into the latest on the venue, Landon left the door open for Steve or any member of the team to reach out to him when the timing was better. With a warm smile for Grace and arms wide to really show how large the coming fruit basket would be, he left her giggling just as Chin and Rachel were returning with Doctor Ramirez.

"I like him, Danno. He's funny!" Grace's giggle was infectious and with yet another shared self-reproaching look for Steve's benefit, Danny allowed himself to agree.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	31. Chapter 31

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 31**

After Grace got home from visiting her father, Rachel heard her humming a happy tune to herself in the kitchen. Not only was her father on the road to recovery, he would be getting out of the hospital in just two more days. Rachel smiled to herself as she ransacked her tea collection in the cupboard. Grace's soft song was a remarkable transformation from just a few days earlier when the little girl had so terribly withdrawn from everyone and everything.

Rachel knew exactly what her daughter had up her little sleeve, too, and she couldn't be more proud. She hadn't been asked directly to help yet, but she knew that Grace's request would be coming very soon. The failed Father's Day would go on as planned and would be even more important despite the fact it would happen almost more than two full weeks after the National day that was steadfastly marked on a standard, commercial wall calendar. A simple date would never matter as much to Grace as the spirit of the special day she would spend with Danno.

Beating her daughter to the punch, Rachel couldn't help broaching the sensitive subject first. "Where did you put it, Grace? Did you keep it in a safe place?"

Her mother hadn't dared ask until that very minute and she smiled as she brewed a cup of tea. With her back to Grace, she blew on the hot black cup before taking a sip and her smile deepened when she heard the answer. Grace knew exactly what she meant without needing to know more, so they were both on the same mental pages.

The soft humming stopped and the reply was quiet and nearly wistful. "It's under my bed with the card."

"Good, sweetie, because Uncle Steve and I are going to help you and your father make up for that lost weekend. You're going to need to make sure your gift is still wrapped just right." Her sudden announcement created an excited stir behind her back and Grace's arms encircled her waist before Rachel could turn around.

"Really? This Friday? For the whole weekend?" It solved the last of Grace's private, thoughtful riddles because Danny wasn't coming home from the hospital on one of their shared times together. Plus she understood that he would need days yet of rest to be fully well. With her mother's offer, she didn't have to wait even longer as her excited, anxious mind caught up with things she wanted to do. Her mother had just solved the biggest hurdle and Grace hugged her even tighter.

"Yes, really. Plan on seeing your father this weekend as long as he's up to it." Rachel laughed because Danny would be up to it; very much  _up to it_  just like their daughter. She grinned as Grace ran upstairs to her bedroom to make sure the gift was just as she'd left it. Rachel only briefly lost her smile as she thought about the gift and Danny's surprise. If she had done so many things differently, she would be able to see his face, too. Part of her ached for that loss. But because of her decisions, it wasn't meant to be and Rachel sighed into her tea-cup before turning back towards the sink.

In the privacy of her room, Grace sniffled a happy tear away before diving under the dust ruffle to pull out the thin box. Before touching it, she lay on her stomach and rested her chin on tented fingers. Only her legs stuck out from under the bed as she studied the gift. Grace almost cried again because she remembered how upset she had been when she had shoved it so far out of her sight. No one ever lied to her and on that terrible day, neither her mother nor Uncle Steve could promise that her father would be coming home safely. In fact, no one knew where he even was and Uncle Steve's face had been uncharacteristically severe and sad all at the same time. The frightened pang tightened her chest again and Grace couldn't help the short sob as she remembered that most scary thing of all.

But Danno was home now and Grace resolutely pushed her tears down as she pulled the box out into the middle of the room. She sat cross-legged there and smoothed out the somewhat flattened bow. What was inside had taken a long time for her to do and then on top of it, something else completely unexpected had happened to make it even more special. She wasn't afraid to be proud of it again ..  _now that Danno was home_  .. and she smiled to herself. It was still perfectly wrapped and she only needed to straighten a corner that had gotten slightly rumpled.

Inside, was a shadow box of two very special awards; one of which she had earned with the other Aloha Girl's and there were just too many things which made the gift so valuable to her. First, over a month earlier, the idea had been entirely hers and then all the girls had participated. Secondly, instead of asking Steve, she had asked Catherine for help. She had thought about asking Steve, but she'd been embarrassed and realized Catherine would be best. The secret had grown, then morphed to become a very big deal not only to her, but to her entire Aloha Girl's troop.

" _Girl talk_." Grace had ventured tentatively, the one extra day over a month ago she when had seen Catherine Rollins at Steve's for a barbecue. Talking to her had become the answer to her dilemma and Grace had quietly stolen her away for some  _girl talk._  Catherine had listened avidly to the idea and then visited the Aloha Girl's meetings once or twice to help them all get started before another mandatory deployment. Her help had been priceless, she'd bonded with the girls, and she'd managed to bring in Duke Lukela and even Charlie Fong to complete their circle of experts as the Aloha Girl's excitedly focused on their special mission.

Lastly, what had happened afterwards was an amazing, exciting adventure. They had all earned one patch not only as a team, but then another individually. But to Grace, her personal award was more than a badge of honor and it had instantly been the ideal Father's Day gift.

Grace smoothed down the colorful wrapping paper again and then fixed the bow. The gift was still perfect and she couldn't wait to see Danno's face!

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

The first call that Steve made the very next day when Kono dropped him off at his house was to Rachel. It had to be and even Kono couldn't help grinning from ear to ear as she lounged casually against his kitchen counter top with a glass of cold water. Bad leg propped on a kitchen chair, Steve was on the phone with Rachel for a long time and the conversation was equal parts excitement, an odd confusion marked by long silences on his side, and then pure bitter-sweet melancholy.

"It's on then? Good .. we can manage the food." His face reflected his confusion and he blatantly ignored Kono's inquisitive gestures and loud annoyed sounds when he didn't answer her.

"You and Grace already have all of those other things worked out? Wait. She did what?" There was a long moment of silence as Steve listened to whatever Rachel was saying. Even with her very audible sigh about the unintelligible state of the one-sided conversation, Kono failed at getting his attention.

"Catherine? How did she get involved? What are you talking about?" Confusion eventually changed to shock and then to pride and his final exuberant smile matched Kono's as he nodded automatically into the phone. It was clear that she couldn't wait to hear the details of the exchange, but then Kono's face fell as she heard his parting remarks.

"Okay! No, I promise that I won't say a word about this; not to anyone. Thanks, Rachel." He didn't need to actually thank the mother of his partner's beautiful child but his relief knew no bounds as he ended the call.

"Well, you are going to at least tell me. Aren't you?" Kono demanded.

Rather than answering, Steve was almost talking out loud to himself. "Rachel's way ahead of us and Grace is beyond ecstatic. Ponch is releasing Danny tomorrow and Rachel will be waiting for him with Grace at his apartment as a surprise for the entire weekend. This is going to be better than Father's Day."

Steve meant every word of it. He had easily hatched his part of the plan with Chin and Kono. Now they would all work together to recapture, re-book and remedy much of Danny's original plans with Grace. From the sound of it, even Grace had her own special things in mind and Rachel was scheming and plotting with her to make her gift even more special.

"How do you know what he had planned? And what was all of that with Rachel .. and did you say Cath was involved? She's not even here." Kono asked as she rocked off the counter and pulled up a chair with her cell phone at the ready. The answer to her first question was simple because Danny had been so excited with Rachel's original last minute gesture, Steve had been privy to virtually every second of each planned activity. But he refused to offer any clues about the second half.

"He told me." Steve scrubbed his hair hard with one hand leaving spikes standing on end. The day back in June when Rachel had called to ask Danny about Father's Day would be stuck in his head forever. They had been in the Camaro and Danny's tone had entirely changed from the first and almost icy-cold  _'Hello, Rachel_ " to his final and much more congenial " _count on it_."

Steve smirked as he thought about Danny's genuine excitement to make everything perfect. It needed to be that way again. He nodded before softly repeating himself. "Yeah, he told me. But he can't physically do it all right now. However, we can get some things back on track for them."

The Friday morning he'd been abducted, Danny and Grace were going to have a simple movie night with take-out. However, Saturday was chock full of plans beginning with a kayak and walking tour of Flat Island and a bird sanctuary. In the mid afternoon, Danny had secured tickets to the Hawaii Theatre Centre and a popular children's musical. Evening plans included a father-daughter dinner at one of the best Italian restaurants in Honolulu.

While parts of the kayaking tour made that concept too problematic due to the land-based aspects of the morning event, Steve knew that he, Chin and Kono could resurrect the Theatre and dinner plans easily enough for the coming weekend. As Rachel had stressed too, Grace honestly didn't even seem to care all that much in the end. Her excitement over what she had planned for Sunday over-shadowed everything else. But for Steve, it meant too much to him ... and to Danny ... to not try to correct some of those things that his partner had wanted to do with his daughter.

"I'll call the Theatre. After that, think about getting comfortable on your sofa or in bed. I'm not going to explain what you do to Doc Ramirez after barely an hour of being home." Kono announced quickly as she got to work. It was too early for reservations at the restaurant, but Steve had plans to support Grace's special ideas. He would relate to Chin what he needed to go food shopping to stock Danny's refrigerator with everything that Grace might need for her orchestrated 'Sunday morning breakfast in bed' at the apartment.

Steve couldn't help grinning to himself though he refused to tell Kono exactly why. In fact, he hadn't known a thing until Rachel explained the complicated nature of Grace's gift and he snorted with quiet approving laughter much to Kono's ongoing annoyance. His eyes had widened in surprise when Catherine's name was mentioned and he listened dumb-struck as Rachel explained what she'd help to coordinate so many week's earlier with the Aloha Girl's troop. That feeling had only been compounded by the ending of the elaborate story.

Danny would be shocked. Stunned, really. And Steve almost wondered if his friend would be ready to hear the whole, exciting chain of events. Yet still, he remained utterly silent after ending the call.

"I can't tell you. I'm not even supposed to know!" Steve threw his hands up in the air and flinched when the move pulled on his sore lower back. He winced again when Kono flicked the kitchen towel in his direction. She softened a bit and then plunked the bottle of pain medication into his hands with her phone still cocked to her ear using her shoulder.

"You should tell at least me." Kono complained while pouring him a glass of water. He swallowed two of the pills and then grinned at her somewhat perturbed expression.

He denied her again though with another helpless gesture. "Hey! I promised .. and I just can't right now."

"Rude! I can't believe you are this rude." Kono complained while on endless hold with the Theatre. The dull music was on its fourth round and her frustration mounted between that and Steve's determination to remain quiet.

"It's not fair. Really, boss."

For his part, Steve couldn't believe what Rachel had told him but he was sworn to secrecy. He was astounded that Charlie Fong and Duke Lukela had been involved with Grace's scheme from the very start as well. But what had happened next? Mulling it over in his head, Steve snorted out loud to bring down Kono's ire again.

She practically hissed at him and then paused as a series of clicks sounded on her phone. "What! If you aren't going to tell me, then stop it Steve!"

What he couldn't tell Kono was the secret of Grace's gift. The little girl had stumbled across a known but little earned patch in her Aloha Girl's handbook; and then earned another major award. She had presented the initial concept to her group leader and then the entire troop had excitedly gotten involved. It took a full month to achieve and Catherine, Duke and Charlie Fong had helped them all along the way.

Steve grinned to himself as he absently rubbed his thigh just above the knee brace. His partner would be astounded, shocked and no doubt very proud of his little girl. Each individual surprise would continually lift Danny's ever-improving spirits which had taken only a minor blow when Steve was released that day. In just twenty-four hours, the first would be the unexpected appearance of his daughter sitting in his own apartment to kick off a long-healing chain of events.

Even though he was housebound, Steve was happy and he huffed a satisfied breath which got Kono's attention once more.

"Boss?" Kono rolled her eyes skyward at his ambivalent shrug and private chuckle. Then she had to focus on her call since someone finally had picked up at the ticket counter. "Finally! Hello?"

Sighing happily, he relaxed in the chair while he listened to Kono re-book the Theatre tickets. Steve would never say a word though because it was Grace's special secret and that was all there was to it. However, there was no doubt that he would love to be a fly on the wall come Sunday.

_**~ to be continued ~** _


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Hawaii Five-0 or any characters. No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Notes: So here it is - after much personal angst amongst the darn muses/bunnies/evil plotters! I hope you all like it - and will be an Epilogue so I am not yet marking this 'completed'.
> 
> Enter Lucy from the Aloha Girls (just a smidge) ...

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 32**

At first enthralled by what his daughter was explaining, Danny sat in silence as he watched her animated face. He absorbed every expression of her bright eyes and her breathy, soft laugh. It was now Sunday morning, and his Father's Day gift sat unopened still in the middle of his kitchen table because Grace was insistent upon telling him her very important back-story before he could open it.

Incredibly over-joyed to still have her for yet a third consecutive day, she was oblivious to the fact that she was his Father's Day gift. She always would be. Danny was utterly amazed that she never quite realized the simplicity of it and so, he nearly missed her words. Grace had laughed again and he was caught up in committing the sound to memory. When the syllables finally made words that sank into his brain though, Danny was immediately suspicious at the odd choice.

"What, Monkey? Did you say  _back-story_? How do you even know what that means?" Danny muttered through his fist while he sat in the wheelchair by the kitchen table. He winced at a bit of the painful tightness caused by the one healing rib. His feet felt heavy too and he'd opted for the hospital-issued wheelchair since he promised Ellen in particular that he would be careful. Because of his Ohana, he and Grace's previous day had been nothing short of remarkable, very busy, and while he would never give up a second of it, he was now quite sore. His right foot in particular was acting up and he knew that Ponch would have his head should he see the reoccurrence of the swelling.

Two days earlier, Chin had driven him home from the hospital and then helped him into the wheelchair between car and front door. His new apartment had no stairs, and he was blissful at the prospect of getting the astringent hospital smells out of his nose. There would also be no more poking, prodding, annoying I.V. lines, or incessant questions about how he was feeling or if he might be hungry. Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply in the late afternoon sunshine, Danny was thrilled to be free and Chin had smiled warmly at him before they even rolled along the short sidewalk.

He should have guessed something more was up though because Chin had actually been smiling for hours. He had also declined Danny's immediate request to stop for food at the supermarket in lieu of getting Danny home and resting in bed. The hints had been too subtle and Danny had missed them entirely.

_"No, not yet. I can go later for you. We'll make a list and I'll go back out ... one thing at a time."_

So no, Danny hadn't thought much of anything else except being home as they reached his front door ... until he found it unlocked. Instead of being concerned, Chin had merely shrugged and whispered  _'surprise'_  as he swung the door open to reveal both Rachel and Grace giggling inside. From that point on and as Steve had predicted, Danny's weekend had only gotten better.

 _"Steve did this? With all of you?"_  True to form, Chin had been almost nonchalant about receiving Danny's much overwhelmed thanks. He'd been stunned by the Theatre tickets and new reservations at the Italian restaurant. It was a surprise for Grace too because she hadn't known about either thing, which made these first plans still very special. Then Chin had remained their on-call chauffeur to and from the Theatre; returning right on time to shuttle them quite happily to the fancy Italian restaurant for that evening's fine dinner. To prolong his energy reserves, Danny had made a concerted effort to stay off his feet and he had mostly succeeded. However, the final ride home in the car had been difficult once the long day caught up with the recovering man. On the lookout for such trouble, Chin had wisely noticed the rising pain and fatigue.

Danny had needed his stronger friend's physical support to get through his front door and then into bed. Chin had lingered calmly near, asking Grace to help where she could by pulling down the bed covers and running for her father's medicine. He had been worried about Danny's obvious fatigue but his friend had yet to stop smiling.  _"I can't tell you how fine I am, Chin. Really. I just need a good night's sleep."_

Before leaving, Chin had made sure each had everything on hand for the following day with orders to call should something important come up. His speech to Danny about that was followed up by one privately with Grace. He didn't want to frighten her, but Chin was firm as he hugged her goodnight.  _"I'm very serious, keiki. If you or your father need something ... you call right away."_

Now, it was already late Sunday morning and Grace had texted a quick good morning to her Uncle Chin since both she and Danny had slept in, long and peacefully. Grace was now going to make them an enormous breakfast buffet with pancakes, bacon and eggs. But her excitement about finally being able to give Danno his special present over-shadowed everything else as soon as she opened her eyes.

"Danno? Can I start?" With only a mug of hot coffee steaming in front of him, Danny re-focused on his daughter and smiled warmly into her happy face. "Are you ready because this is important and very exciting!"

He had been forbidden to touch the package until she was done with her story. Grace's eyes were shining and after propping his chin up on one hand, Danny grinned in return for her to begin. "Absolutely, Monkey. I want to hear every single detail."

But then found his mouth gaping wide open at her first few words.

"Catherine helped to get us all started on this idea that I had with my Aloha Girls troop. She came and spoke to all of us about the importance of intelligence, working together as a team, and then the idea just got bigger."

"Catherine? As in Steve's  _Cath_  .. that Catherine?" His free hand dropped limply to the table as some of her other words registered because Catherine's intelligence would have nothing to merely do with someone's school-age I.Q.

He barely croaked out the one word as Grace beamed back at him. "Intelligence?"

'Hm-hmm! She has a cool job!" He leaned forward at that excited remark even more worried than before.

"Exactly how cool is  _cool_? You are so not joining the Army, Monkey!"

"It's the  _NAVY_ , Danno. And I don't want to join it." Not to be put off by his newly paled complexion, Grace nodded emphatically about Catherine's brilliance in Naval Intelligence and then launched into the really good part of her story.

"So with Catherine's help, Sergeant Lukela and Dr. Fong took us to a real crime scene so we could work on earning our badge. One that had already been gone through and catalogued so it was perfectly safe." Grace shoved her smart phone under his face at the kitchen table.

"Crime scene? What crime scene?" He swallowed hard and stared at her in disbelief. But instead of answering him, Grace was well on her way down the intrigue of her story.

"So, while we were there, Dr. Fong showed us all how to dust and lift fingerprints. Then outside, he showed us how to measure footprints. It was a lot of fun and he said that I was very good at it!" Grace barely paused as her fingers flew through the photographic images on her phone.

"Here. This is the best part! I found this tire track off to the side by the garage." Unable to blink, Danny's eyes alternated rapidly between the phone and his daughter's face.

"Just .. stop." He repeated himself a bit more firmly as he covered her hand with his own to get her attention. "Wait a minute, Grace. Crime scene? You went to an actual crime scene?"

"It was safe, Danno." With an exasperated sigh, Grace nodded because he was changing the subject again and not keeping up with her. "Yes! An old one where Sergeant Lukela said the crime was already solved and the bad guy was in jail. The owners of the house gave HPD permission to take us all there to practice for our badges. But look ... I found this tire track in the mud by the garage and it was on the outside margin of the yellow tape."

Even though her eyes were still laughing and she had practically slipped up about the Aloha Girl's Detective badge, she frowned because he was still hung up on the whole beginning of the story. He rubbed his face and shook his head at the concept before muttering under his breath. His brows were knit together in a mix of worry and confusion which Grace read as the start of a new topic, and she couldn't help the annoyed whine as she tapped her phone.

"Danno!" Slamming his mouth shut, Danny weakly nodded and gestured for Grace to continue; though by now, he wasn't at all sure he wanted to hear the rest of it. He frowned at the gaudily wrapped present and winced as he tried to figure out what might be inside.

 _'Please don't mention Max - Please don't mention, Max _\- Please don't mention, Max__ ," became the frightening new mantra in his head. But when the next image clearly showed reams of yellow tape in front of a garage door that appeared to be fluttering in a breeze, he automatically groaned.

"Where was this again? What was the crime?" Pursing her lips, Grace started all over again explaining the jewelry heist from the month of March that had been reported by the caretaker of a wealthy couple who were on an extended expedition somewhere in Africa. According to both Sergeant Lukela and Charlie Fong, the house had been cased by a lone thief who was already serving time in jail.

She bounced in her chair and kicked the table legs in sheer frustration as he lobbed even more questions at her. "What was this guy's name? The one they have in custody. Are they absolutely sure he was working alone?"

"Dannnooooo!" Grace didn't know or care about the real thief and all the questions were ruining her story. Almost in a temper, she thumped backwards into the chair and glared at him until he closed his mouth. Carefully and with a bit less vim and vigor, Grace tried to continue.

"So,  _anyway_  ... I found these tracks and Sergeant Lukela said they were new. It had rained in the morning and the tracks were very new. The family is not home and the caretaker visits only twice a month. He also only drives an old pickup truck, so the tracks were not his. We took measurements and photographic evidence like Dr. Fong showed us and then he helped us identify the brand of motorcycle it belonged to."

At the time, not even Duke Lukela had thought much of her find. The thefts had been reported in March and the perpetrator identified and taken into custody in April. By the time the troop visited weeks later in mid-May, the real crime scene team had long ago finished their job of going over the home with a fine-tooth comb. They had no doubt that the lone thief they had in jail was the perpetrator. The scene was no longer pristine or of importance, HPD had gained the owners' approval to demonstrate police work that day to the troop, and it was utterly benign. The motorcycle track was assumed to be made by a friend of the caretaker's or another hired maintenance worker, or even a food delivery person. It could have been anything and was initially discounted.

In fact as the Sergeant proudly explained, their already jailed perpetrator had admitted to stealing the thousands of dollars in jewelry once he had been certain the house was empty. As he had duly confessed, they found all the goods locked inside a public storage facility; along with at least $100,000 of other recently reported stolen items.

It was a slam-dunk case and the site was secure. Since that time, the caretaker had been there fairly often, they couldn't count how many times it had rained, and the caretaker had only just begun to remove the yellow tape. He'd been slow to cut down what was still cordoning off the detached garage. Off to the side of that garage was where Grace had found the motorcycle tire tracks in the mud.

"We were allowed to split up into pairs on the property to see what else we could find. So me and my friend, Lucy ..." Grace stopped again and made a face for Danny's sake before correcting herself. "Okay,  _Lucy and I_  .. we were each other's back-up and we walked around to the back of the garage. There was this potter's shed in the far corner of the yard, so we went to investigate and that's where Lucy found the broken window. But I found the hidden motorcycle."

His eyes widened and he had to literally bite his tongue as she paged through to show him those images. He saw the small shed that had a variety of both used and unused hanging baskets left in disarray. A small black Kawasaki bike was parked between the shed and a large tree. There was a close up image of the front tire that was still half-wet with drying mud. It was almost hidden by the shade of the big tree. He could see that Grace was the photographer because there was a glimmer of golden hair in the pictures which he knew was the back of Lucy's head. Bits of glass glimmered in the grass and it was clear, at least to him, that someone had punched through the shed's window at just the right angle to open the small door.

Danny glanced at his daughter because he knew what the brave duo had done next. "You opened the door didn't you." His statement was met with a serious and very quick nod.

"Yes, we still had our crime scene gloves on so we went in. It was really dark inside because of that tree and the other windows were so dirty." She sobered immediately and almost hesitantly showed him the next picture on her smart phone. "I promise we didn't touch them, Danno."

Slowly she edged the phone to him across the table. "But we did take pictures of the table and then showed Sergeant Lukela right away."

"I found the motorcycle parked next to the shed. Dr. Fong proved it was the same one to match the tire tread by the side of the garage. There was another footprint sunk in the mud, too. But then we had to leave; Sergeant Lukela made us all go home right away."

Danny didn't know what to say. Her pictures were perfectly organized to capture five different angles of the automatic weapons that were displayed from one end of the wooden pottery table to the other. She had called Duke and the officer had sent them all packing once he understood that a much larger story was still taking place right under their very noses.

She was waiting for him to say something. Anything. Yet, he was still at a complete loss for words. Danny took a long moment and then heaved in a deep breath before letting it out as a shuddering, awed sigh. It took an amazing amount of effort on his part, but Danny buried his typical fatherly rant.

She was desperate for his approval and the fact was that she'd done excellent work. Grace's amazing accomplishment was the sole focus, not his knee-jerk emotions, and she was absolutely pleading for his approval. His smile completely relaxed her and then, it didn't take him long to figure out what his present was as his face opened up to hers in amazement.

"Grace! You got your Scout's Detective badge!" Her radiant smile matched his as he scooted the gift closer and opened it. She had with all the other girls, but there was something more inside the wrapped box. Much, much more and she was fairly bursting with excitement because he hadn't realized it yet.

Danny at first didn't even see the bigger surprise as he looked at the embroidered Aloha Girl's Detective patch. But then the vellum paper background with the gold emblazoned ribbon caught his attention. He stopped, looked at her once in astonishment, pulled it closer and then read it again.

"Monkey, this is ... incredible." Danny's voice was low and hushed as he read the words over and over until they sunk firmly into his being. He shook his head and then laughed with pride. "Grace. This is amazing, fantastic and totally incredible!"

She giggled in relief when his jaw practically hit the table. The shadow box had her Aloha Girl's Detective badge which all the girls had earned. The preliminary certificate from the Honolulu Police Department stood out though. Dated June 12th, it was for a special Civilian Commendation Award. A small gold tag proudly displayed her full name along the bottom of the mahogany frame with the same June date. Grace had kept it a secret for a very long time. He laughed quietly to himself because so had Charlie Fong and Duke Lukela; in fact, any of the HPD officers who knew him .. knew Grace ..and they had all kept it an enormous secret.

"Lucy got one too. We were supposed to have a ceremony once HPD finalized the date with the Commissioner, but I didn't want the real certificate until you got home." Grace was biting her lip as tears filled her eyes. All plans were postponed with HPD once her father had been abducted.

"Sergeant Lukela said that we were going to get the real award at a special ceremony. I didn't want a ceremony or a party or anything at all ... until you came home, Danno."

At that, she slid off the chair and crawled into his lap. He kissed the top of her head while she hugged him hard. "I am so incredibly proud of you, Grace. Just so much."

She had memorized the words on the interim certificate and she recited them now back to her father who enveloped her hand in his own. Danny smiled with pride since she didn't even need to glance one time at the award. He read it to himself in time to her voice.

"Because of outstanding assistance to the Honolulu Police Department, Grace Williams has significantly contributed to public safety in our City and we proudly present her with this special Commendation."

Since her discovery with Lucy, HPD had identified two additional cohorts to the one originally lone thief already jailed. The ring used the jewelry heist as a cover for a much larger arms deal. Those facts were things that the children didn't need to know; but their unexpected accomplishment led the appropriate officials directly to a larger and more dangerous illegal activity. The guns and the small group were off the street and arrested before their plan had any hopes of making it to fruition.

"I want you to have it, daddy. Happy Fathers Day." She whispered tearfully as Danny hugged her tightly to his chest while she hung her legs over the arm of the wheelchair. The weekend had been perfect, that morning had been amazing and Grace's Father's Day gift was simply remarkable. The last few terrible weeks were gone from his memory to be totally replaced by an astounding gift of more precious time with his much too smart daughter.

"Grace, you have no idea. This is the best Father's Day I ever had. Thank you." He huffed out an exaggerated, loud breath of air that made Grace giggle. She didn't need to look up to know that he was smiling from ear to ear. His hand moved carefully over the elaborate mahogany frame and then he traced the gold tag where her name was engraved.

"I have one amazing kid."

_**~ END ~ (Epilogue pending)** _


	33. EPILOGUE

*** H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 * H50 ***

**Chapter 33 - EPILOGUE**

Only another full week had passed and while Steve was virtually back to normal and cleared to drive, Danny's own progress was a bit slower. He was now walking with limited support, but he tired easily and Ramirez was taking it almost personally that his patient had gained back a mere six pounds.

They were all keeping an eye on him and for that, his limits of aggravation were becoming more and more thin. Every so often, he wouldn't respond to a text message or phone call begging off for having been sleeping. He could be excruciatingly slow to answer a knock on his door, too.

Of course it was Steve who guessed the lingering problem. There were no nightmares or traumatic episodes per se, however the stillness of the dark, night hours and utter quiet would prey on Danny's sometimes uneasy nerves. His guess that Danny was sleeping during the day because of disturbed nighttime slumber was quite accurate.

The disruptive routine affected everything else by default: his meal schedule, hence his medication schedule and round he went in a self-fulfilling prophecy that led to a lack of stamina, energy and not enough weight-gain. Danny was moody and irritable with everyone except for Grace. He, however, refused to make any changes in his living arrangements as he muscled through his late-night issues. Steve complained that his stubbornness was completely unnecessary, while Danny dug in with his old determination. As a last resort to engaging Doctor Ramirez, Steve lobbed an ultimatum for one more week's worth of patient understanding. Lines of communication were left open and an elaborate use of text messaging was employed in case Danny might actually be sleeping.

Danny learned to expect the bland but loaded  _'R U Up?_ ' from Steve between the hours of midnight and two in the morning. Most times he was and he'd respond back .. or not .. depending upon the darkness of his mood. Oddly, the more dismal he felt, the more likely he would text or call Steve back within seconds.

If Danny didn't respond, he got another chance. A second similar text message might follow more towards dawn before Steve went on his early morning swim. As he learned from recent experience, a non-response to this second attempt by the time said exercise was accomplished, would earn him a SEAL on his doorstep.

Therefore, Danny responded. He grudgingly communicated and dutifully tried to improve his schedule. Each day was finally getting markedly better; especially since he had received a particular phone call from Sergeant Lukela.

It was almost a role reversal when Steve's cell phone chimed that afternoon with Danny's number flashing across the screen. He answered it quickly and was cut off before he could worry about the reason behind the call.

 _"Steve! Duke just called and the Awards Ceremony has been scheduled for next Monday afternoon."_  The pleasure and pride in Danny's voice was unmistakable. _"It's going to be at the hotel and we're going to book another room for a party and early dinner along with Lucy's family to celebrate."_

The long pregnant pause begged another unspoken question and Steve grinned into the phone. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, Danny. We're all going to be there in fact."

 _"She's something else."_  Danny had been saying those exact words for days. It was a repetitive, awed sequence preceding almost every conversation.

"She certainly is." Steve agreed with ease. It hadn't taken him long to enjoy the vicarious nature of what it might be like to have a child through his partner's friendship and eyes. And Gracie was a beautiful joy that Steve was lucky enough to see often. So, as promised, Steve didn't tell anyone what Rachel had shared before the father-daughter reunion; least of all Danny. He listened to Danny's personal rendition after the father-daughter weekend with so much more pleasure. He then learned that being told something by the man's ex-wife and then seeing the end result with his own two eyes, were entirely different experiences. He had gone over to the apartment as soon as humanly possible to visit his partner. Barely in the door, Danny had proudly dragged him over to see his Father's Day gift which hung now on the wall.

Steve didn't need to put on airs or enhance his reaction for it was a beautiful, stunning gift. The words on the interim certificate and the small gold name-tag displaying " _Grace Williams_ " and the date filled him with a sense of pride, too. He sat in rapt attention as Danny related every fine detail of Grace's story. Steve couldn't help grinning at Danny's continued distaste for what had happened in the shed. However, the girls conducted themselves wisely and intelligently with Duke quickly intervening. And then of course, Danny had investigated the original theft and arrest; he'd also gotten his professional read-out of his own back-story to compliment what Grace and Lucy had accomplished. Then this official information only added to his fatherly pride.

The days flew by quickly after Duke's call and Danny found himself anxiously waiting for Steve to pick him up at the apartment. They had all agreed as a team to wear their official uniforms and Danny grinned when he saw Steve in his Naval dress blues. He would both blend and stick out in a sea of HPD Officers.

He was using his cane nearly all the time now, however Steve insisted upon running back into the apartment for the wheelchair.

"Don't need it, Steven." Danny griped loudly as his partner placed it in the trunk of the Camaro. Gesturing to the Silverado, he made a face too for the change in vehicles.

"And, why my car? What's the excuse this time when the damned chair would fit easily in the bed." But Steve only shrugged before giving him two very good reasons.

"It might rain and the chair will get wet if it does. Plus, Danno, it's going to be too hard for you to get in and out of the truck. Let's not push things quite yet." The validity of the reasons shut him up but Danny was shaking his head as he carefully eased himself into the passenger seat of his own car.

The two met Chin and Kono outside the hotel before going to the reserved auditorium where the formal HPD Awards Ceremony was to be held. They were early and as the proud parents, were told what to expect and then where to sit in the front rows. However, with barely a glance towards Rachel, Danny added on his own team to join him there. The Edwards/Williams-5-0 Ohana sat on the left side of the large room, while Lucy's family was seated across the front row on the right.

After all was said and done, Danny was standing between Rachel and Steve in the front row. On the opposite side of Steve, stood Kono and Chin at perfect attention. In the chairs on the far side of Rachel, Stan Edwards was holding baby, Charles, and at least two stuffed teddy bears. The ceremony would begin soon, and pleasant prelude music was playing in the background. The two girls were already on the stage and waiting to be told what to do next once the official ceremony started.

Other family and friends, plus the entire Aloha Girl's troop decked out in their scout uniforms were there, too. Everyone was spread out in the room, along with members of the media who were taking pictures and recording the event with both cameras and smart phones.

The Five-0 team looked entirely professional and extremely respectable except one pair was studiously attempting to ignore the first. Chin hissed at them under his breath when the music became louder, the girls were told to sit, and the HPD officials began to take the stage. Everyone in uniform was asked to remain standing for the duration of the entrance piece, though Rachel and Lucy's family followed suit.

"I'm just saying … it makes no sense, Steven. It never will." Danny had his cane hooked over his casted left wrist as he used his right thumb and forefinger to pull on the black sleeve hard enough to make Steve jerk his arm out of reach. Once again harping on the upside down language of black-colored dress blues, Danny was clearly annoying his partner.

"Drop it already." His movement caught Danny off guard and Rachel murmured worriedly as Steve rushed to grab Danny's good arm to rebalance the still very unsteady man.

"Shut up, Danno. Use your cane and watch your kid." Steve smirked under his breath as Grace covertly waved to them again from where she sat next to Lucy on the stage. They were not the only two receiving commendations that day. Three HPD officers were also on the stage and sitting behind the podium waiting for their special awards, as well. The room was full to capacity with a mix of proud and excited friends and family members.

"I wish she'd stop doing that." Danny complained as Grace made a tiny, cute wave towards her brother, Charles. The baby saw his sister and fairly screamed with glee as his feet and fists alternated between kicking and punching the air.

Sitting back down in embarrassment, Stan bounced the overly excited baby on his knee and rolled his eyes towards Rachel who blatantly ignored all of them. She had her camera wrapped around her neck and was bound and determined to take photos of her daughter regardless of the buzz of activity from her own family. Only Danny was visibly unhappy when Grace did it again and the little guy responded once more very loudly to make both girls giggle on stage.

"This is serious stuff and she's making jokes." He tried to gesture with his right hand to catch Grace's attention, but that brought the tip of the cane off the floor and Danny rocked unsteadily into his partner.

"She's a kid, Daniel. And like it or not, she has your crazy sense of humor." Steve chuffed happily under his breath before biting his own lip to keep from laughing. The entire Aloha Girl's troop filled up any remaining chairs in the room and they were far from being quietly respectful. Lucy was making faces at one of their friends in the back row and even her parents were now becoming embarrassed.

"Grace!" There was a loud spat of giggling and Danny fairly wheezed her name out as he wobbled dangerously. Forgoing keeping his hands clasped in front of him, Steve finally anchored his hand to Danny's elbow regardless of the cane's existence.

"She's fine! So shut up and watch the ceremony. It's about to start and I guarantee everyone will quiet down."

"Let go. I can stand." Danny whispered as he vainly tried to tug away from what became a pinching, ironclad grip. For a split second, he lost his balance once more, but found himself securely held upright instead.

"No. No you obviously can't.  _Shhh_! Be quiet!" The whispers were increasing in volume and Lucy finally glanced curiously towards Grace who was grinning now at Steve and Danny. Suddenly seeing some signal that the audience couldn't perceive, both girls and the other three HPD awardees got to their feet just as the rear doors opened to the auditorium. The rest of the civilian audience reacted in kind just as the entrance music began to play even more loudly.

"Both of you should shut up." Chin whispered fiercely under his breath as the HPD Honor Guard entered in formation to post the colors. The ongoing hum in the room dropped immediately as the music increased in volume and the formal Guard came down the main aisle and approached the stage.

After his brief opening remarks, Commissioner asked the audience to relax and take their seats. With a final successful tug, Danny freed his arm to sit carefully with his cane perched directly in front of him. The Commissioner then handed the podium over to Sergeant Duke Lukela, who was the official Master of Ceremonies. Beginning with each of his three officers, Duke took his time in presenting the various awards that ranged across four categories.

As the full ceremony began in earnest and Duke grandly introduced each awardee and their special nomination, Danny didn't move. He was so quiet, that Steve snuck concerned glances his way at least twice to make sure he was fine. But Danny's glassy eyes were solely focused on his daughter and every word of the presentation.

The honored HPD Officers received their awards first with complete descriptions relating their valor and bravery. The civilian awards were held for last and Duke made a concerted effort to explain the Aloha Girl's field trip, their success in earning the coveted Detective's badges, and then shared the exciting reasons behind Lucy's and Grace's particular nominations. As each girl got up to accept her own award, the applause was almost deafening as a startling number of cameras went off simultaneously.

Charles burst into tears and Stan had his hands full trying to calm the frightened child. He was on his own since Rachel had gotten up to take advantage of a different angle or two. Kono had done the same for Danny because of his injured wrist. Based on the length of time Kono was missing from her chair, the number of images that he would have to choose from would be limitless.

But when Rachel returned first, Steve was extremely surprised to see that she had her hand lightly placed on Danny's sleeve, just above the cast on his wrist. It seemed both odd and very right that they should celebrate their daughter together, but Steve couldn't help wondering what Stan Edwards might be thinking. Especially since the man was left juggling the still whimpering baby.

Steve gently smirked to himself when he noticed the stranglehold that Danny had with his one hand on the cane. He was continually and solely focused on Grace until Steve caught his eye and then stared at the white-knuckled fingers. The fidget next to him was self-conscious and Steve smiled as Danny visibly forced his hands to relax.

"Congrats, Danno." Steve whispered with a beaming smile as he helped Danny rise back to his feet for the formal closing. The ceremony was ending and all the awardees were now receiving a final ovation which would be followed by even more family photos with the Commissioner and other important members of the HPD.

Grace was standing too and holding a large bouquet of mixed flowers. The new, formal HPD Commendation was actually a large frame that held their own picture, the final certificate signed by the Commissioner, and a gold medal with a pretty, blue bow. They sat on elevated easels and each child would need help from her family to carry it off the stage. But for now, the two girls stood with the honored Officers for a final round of praise and applause.

"She needs help." Danny whispered to Steve because Lucy's father was on his way to help his daughter. But Danny was stuck and Steve felt the unspoken need through his arm.

"On it, buddy." Using the crying baby as an excuse, Steve glanced to Stan and Rachel first and then kept moving. Before they might object, he was well on his way to intercepting Grace and rescuing her special gifts.

"Congratulations, Gracie. We're all really very, very proud of you, sweetie." Steve said as he took the large plaque and aimed Grace towards her family.

"Thanks, Uncle Steve!" She gave him a quick one-armed hug and then ran to her mother with the flowers. He followed behind with the frame and waited for instructions on where they would want it until he felt another small hand tugging on his jacket.

Lucy was gazing up at him in adoration and then trying to drag him off for pictures with her family; some of whom were stunned to see that their little girl was actually friends with a decorated Navy SEAL. Steve then had to split his time between the two families, as did Chin and Kono who wound up laughing at the crazy antics. The cousins also got caught up in a hastily organized police volley ball game on the hotel's beachfront, so the two were figuring out where and what to change into for the spontaneous challenge.

Things became more than chaotic when the two girls hunted down Charlie Fong and Duke Lukela. The next uproar came from the entire Aloha Girl's troop which created another frenzy of wild picture-taking.

By that time, more than an hour had passed by and Danny had physically used up his entire reserve of energy, but was refusing to sit down or admit defeat. With Steve still occupied by Lucy's family, Chin was now standing guard near him while Kono played interference with some Aloha Girl's stragglers who wanted even more pictures. She was also playfully bullying back some of her HPD peers who wanted to know which of the teams she'd be joining for the volley ball match.

Steve had his hat in his hands as he finally made his way back over. Chin had finally managed to get Danny to at least sit down in the first row where he was contentedly watching his daughter from behind his friendly but protective stance.

"Keys? I'll get it for him now." Steve nodded quietly when Chin muttered about getting the wheelchair from the car and he tossed him the keys with approval.

"What are you two planning?" Danny asked as he watched Chin jog from the room. Before answering, Steve studied him closely and provided the right judgment call based upon the slightly trembling hands.

"Making sure you take care of yourself." The ceremony had been a beautiful event and his partner was a happy, emotional, exhausted but very content father. They still had a celebratory party to attend though and Steve groaned to himself. They were already bordering on doing too much and there would be hours yet to go.

"Danny. Are you going to be okay for all of this?" He had to ask even though a shred of annoyance flickered across Danny's face. Checking his watch, Steve grumbled to himself when Danny huffed a disgusted noise when he saw Chin returning with the wheelchair.

"Perfectly. You all worry too much." However, Danny didn't complain as he transferred to the chair and handed Chin the cane. The issue was that it was only two o'clock and the buffet party was slated to begin at four. Becoming fatigued now, Danny would be in dire straits without rest and Steve knew he would never leave the hotel property.

"We have three courtesy rooms. I booked them this morning for our use." Steve felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to come face to face with Stan Edwards and a much-appeased baby. Charles was gurgling happily and his tiny hand clenched inside his father's jacket pocket which was darkly stained by the baby's wet fingers and old tears.

Quietly, Stan pulled Steve a few feet away. "The girls are going swimming and taking advantage of the hotel amenities. The adults are going to do the same, hang out at the bar or do .. whatever. I heard about the volley ball game. But I got three courtesy rooms for those with babies or for anyone that needs to take a break. The kids will need to change when they get done playing, too."

Stan bounced Charles in his arms to make him laugh before continuing. "One room is completely reserved for adults who need to freshen up."

It was clear that Stan had thought ahead and the one room was actually reserved for Danny who might be desperate for rest. It was kind, thoughtful and Steve greatly appreciated the gesture. Seconds later, he found a card key shoved into his hand. "Second floor, room two-thirteen at the end. He should rest and Grace totally understands."

The relieved grin that spread across Steve's face was genuine as he clasped hands with Rachel's current husband. "Thank you."

What he hadn't realized was how much Grace did understand. She was back by her father with Lucy and two other girls excitedly explaining how they were going to all go swimming. "Uncle Steve has the key, Danno."

Her well-timed words allowed Steve to innocently waggle the plain white plastic card in the air. Grace leaned into Danny before leaving with her friends. She was the happiest that Steve had ever seen her and Danny couldn't help pulling her once more into his arms.

"I'm so proud of you and I love you so much, Monkey." Her whispered reply was full of emotion as she returned his hug. "Me too, Danno." There wasn't a trace of unease or nervous tension in his face when he watched her run off to the pool. Things were getting back on track and Steve waited patiently for Danny to decide what he wanted to do. Tired and yet smiling from ear to ear, Steve wasn't entirely ready for Danny's answer to his question.

"So?" He held up the room key again for his partner to take a break, but Danny was smirking in Kono's direction. Hardly shy, she was already shedding the top half of her police uniform and through her starched, white blouse peeked a yellow bikini top.

"So, you have to ask, Steven? A few rounds of volley ball first would suit me just fine!" Almost surprised by what he was seeing, Steve laughed as Chin glared at his cousin. She had kicked off her perfectly shined shoes and was barefoot on the hotel carpet.

"Kono, .." Chin sputtered and then coughed as the Commissioner stopped to stare at them from across the room. " _Kono_!"

"Hey, what? I'm always prepared, cuz. One of your most important life lessons, remember?" He snorted in mock disgust and then joined in their laughter when she tossed him her patrol hat. She had tugged her blouse out to hang over her dress blues, but the yellow bikini top clearly showed through.

Over her shoulder, Kono grinned deviously back at them. "Hold my hat. This won't take long."

_**~ End ~** _


End file.
